From The Garden of Gods AUs
by Sythe
Summary: In which Kagome lands in different countries or timelines in the Naruto verse. This is a collection of AU ideas branching out from my other Inuyasha/Naruto crossover story 'From the Garden of Gods'. Some of the AUs I have promised: Kumo AU, Clan War Era AU, among a few. First one up: Clan War Era. Kagome lands in Naruto world during the clan wars era preceding the Hidden Villages.
1. Clan War Era 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except for the plot and the world building and the small army of OC characters. Actually, now that I think about it, I own a lot. But… uh… not the stuff that can make money… if you get my drift.

This is a collection of AU ideas branching out from my other Inuyasha/Naruto crossover story 'From the Garden of Gods'. Some of the AUs I have promised: Kumo AU, Clan War Era AU, among a few. None of these are full-blown story. Most of them will be written as bare plot lines, drafts, or one-shots covering the premise, plot hooks, and specific events in the story lines. If I have the time, I will try to turn these AUs into full-blown stories, but as it is right now, I have too many story ideas and too little time. If anybody reading this wants to try their hands at turning them into full stories, be my guest. And don't forget to send me a notice when you do. I'd love to check out people's interpretation of the plot lines I sketch out. Most of these AUs probably won't be beta-ed either as my betas are largely busy these days and I really don't want to bother them too much. I know I can be a big bother to them when I get too excited with story ideas. If you want to help me out once in a while by proof reading and such, send me a text (warning: I bounce around stories worse than a bunny in a carrot farm. I also get easily distracted). If you want to discuss story ideas with me or just want to bounce ideas, don't feel shy either. And now, without further ado…

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 **Clan War Era AU – Part 1 (Kagome lands in Naruto world during the Clan War Era preceding the founding of the Hidden Village system)**

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A bit of background on this particular AU. Tumblr user azaliekauriu poked me with a proverbial stick. She asked me how I'd imagine Kagome in Clan War Era Naruto world and the effect she'd have on the timeline and ninja world… if she had any effect at atll. In response, my imagination spazzed a little and belted out a vague facsimile of a story premise. After a few days of cooking, that vague facsimile is now a story-line (a pretty bare-bone one but one nonetheless). Here it is in bullet points.

 **1/** FtGoG Kagome instead of arriving in Suna during the fourth Kazekage's reign actually lands in the Naruto world during the clan war era, around 5-6 years before the founding of the Hidden Villages system. The country she lands in is a tiny, nameless nation in between Wind, Earth, and Fire. It has only a single town and no daimyo, only a minor lord.

 **2/** The first year Kagome spends here is difficult. This is a chaotic era, so there's no such thing as homeless shelter service that neatly picks her up and gives her a place to stay. She wanders into town without knowing anything, not even the language. She is obviously a foreigner to the locals. For one, she's mostly clean (at least cleaner than them), looks well-fed and healthy (both rarities in times of war in a poor country), not to mention the strange clothes she wears and the huge backpack she tows around. Kagome is vaguely aware that she's drawing undue attention and this can get dangerous, but she doesn't know what else to do. She's lost, in both location and in her mind. This is right after the vanquishing of Naraku and the death of her friends. She is distraught and traumatized and numb and a little suicidal too. So she wonders aimlessly around not knowing what to do. Eventually her hunger draws her to a street-side diner where she attempts to communicate across that she would like to buy some food they have. She tries to pay with coins from her era and coins from the Sengoku Jidai era (which are made of copper and gold). The vendor accepts her money (on an exorbitant exchange rate) and Kagome gets to eat. This later leads to problem since people have seen that she actually has money (gold coins) and this is a very poor country with most people down on their luck because of the constant wars between bigger nations. Later on, Kagome is attacked while on the street by thugs and robbers. Leaving the pack behind, she manages to escape with her life (and her bow set). She makes for the forest next to town to avoid further troubles (also because she now has no more coins for a warm bed and bath).

 **3/** After a few days of wandering around in the forest, Kagome finds a run-down, abandoned church. She starts living there because it's better than sleeping on the forest floor and always having to keep an eye out for danger. For the first few months, her life is dictated entirely by instincts and habits. When she's hungry, she looks for things to eat (foraging in the forest, hunting small critters like squirrels and stuff). When she's tired, she sleeps. When she's hurt, she attempts to patch herself up while trying to reign back the suicidal thoughts brewing in the back of her head. She lives wild, almost like an animal. And since safe places to bath are few and far in between, she gets progressively more and more filthy. Though Kagome knows her past self would be horrified by the state she is in right now (ragged filthy clothing and body and hasn't bathed in weeks), the current her doesn't quite mind. She has nothing to live for, no school, no future, no family, no friend. She is tethered to life by a single promise and so she lives, but that's barely living.

 **4/** Eventually, this state is broken by a chance meeting. One day when Kagome is sitting in the run-down church thinking of nothing in particular (she's doing a lot of that these days, thinking about nothing in particulars. It beats thinking about the past and the people she lost), she hears the cry of a child. Pulled by the habit of her kind past self, she ventures from the church, makes her way through the forest, and eventually finds a distraught child with one broken leg - a village boy who fell down a shallow ravine and broke his leg). She heals the child with her power, then wordlessly points him towards the forest entrance. The child is terrified of her because of her appearance, but she hasn't hurt him yet so he obeys.

This sets the precedence for Kagome's encounters with the villagers in the future. The child remembers her and once he's safely back in his house, he spreads news of a crazy beast girl with mythical healing power living in the forest. Most of the adults dismiss this as the wild tale of a child with an overactive imagination (especially when he has no wounds on his leg to prove that encounter in the first place), but the children of the village are intrigued. Eventually, some daredevil boys and girls make it a dare to go into the forest and catch the 'beast girl'. They are not very successful at that because they are loud and clumsy so whenever they go into the forest, Kagome hears them and actively avoids them. But since they are children, sooner or later, they get into trouble. They fall down ravines, trip over roots and branches, scratch themselves up, encounter dangerous wild animals. When this happens and they cry out in fear and pain, Kagome finds them, heals them, and sends them back to the village (via wordless pointing. She still doesn't speak the language). This becomes something of a game for Kagome and the children (both of whom have little interesting things to do). They keep trying to find her while she keeps avoiding them, until one of the children is hurt and Kagome appears to heal them, call the game quit, and send them back to the village.

These children, of course, talk even more of the beast girl in the forest to their parents, but once again, their words are dismissed. Their hide and seek game with the forest kemono girl remains a children's made-up fairy tale in the mind of their parents.

 **5/** An event breaks the game one day. A plague arrives in the village, something similar to the black plague and most of the villagers succumb to it. News is that healers in big cities can do something about the illness, but none of the villagers have the money to make the journey in the first place. Slowly, they grow weak with the disease and some of them start dying. One of the ill people is the single mother of a child who participates in the game of hide and seeks with the beast girl. One night, as his mother lays panting and vomiting up blood, the distraught child can take it no more and he runs into the forest where he cries out for the help of the beast girl. Kagome appears as usual. She is puzzled by the boy's appearance. He appears unharmed but he is clearly distraught. The boy grips Kagome's hands and pulls her towards the village while babbling on about his mother. She doesn't understand a word and tries to resist but he begs and begs and his desperation is such that even the barrier of language can't stop it from reaching Kagome. Eventually, Kagome allows the boy to lead her to the village and to his house where his ill mother lies dying.

Once she sees the boy's mother, she understands what he's trying to say and without needing explanation, approaches the woman, touches her with her light and heals her.

This event effectively changes Kagome's life for the better.

 **6/** When the mother awakes, she is horrified because the first thing she sees after the joyous face of her son is a... a beast girl. Just as the children say, she is a terrible sight. Filthy ragged clothing, hair that grows so long it trails the floor, and the nails. She is about to try to drive the beast girl from her house and away from her son but then the boy starts talking of how the beast girl has saved her and so on and so forth. The mother is dubious but she is polite enough to refrain herself and leaves Kagome mostly alone (but not after giving her a cup of water to drink. They are poor, not mannerless).

Immediately, news that the beast girl has left the forest and is now sitting in a village house spreads through the ranks of the children many of whom have parents sick and dying with the plague. They come to Kagome then and one by one drags her to their houses and begs her to save their parents. She does as they ask and slowly the myth of the forest beast girl solidifies into reality in front of stunned parents and villagers alike.

 **7/** Once everybody is healed and back on their feet, they are faced with a quandary. What do they do with this beast girl? She's hideous and terrible to look at and some people are convinced she is a demon that unsuccessfully takes the form of a young woman. But others argue that she just save all of them and hasn't asked for anything, that it would be barbaric to treat her like that when she has done no wrong. Eventually, it is decided that the villagers will let her stay in the first boy's house. The women of the village say "She's filthy, let's give her a bath" and drag her off to scrub every inch of her skin clean.

Once the bath is done, lo and behold, the beast girl is no more. The young woman that stands now in her place is a little disheveled and thin, but looks perfectly human... even somewhat pretty to their eyes. This is certainly no beast, but perhaps a young girl who has lost her mind due to some tragic events. There are plenty such stories in that era of wars and chaos, stories of women going mad with grief at the loss of families and lovers. Once the women of the village think of Kagome like this, they unanimously adopt her (they are all mothers and know a lost child when they see one. Seeing Kagome like that promptly sends their matriarchal instincts into overdrive. Plus now that they think about it, she probably has saved their kids from gruesome deaths in the forest countless times). They dress her, cut her hair and rub down her scratched skin with herbal balm and tell her she can stay with them now and please don't go to the forest anymore. She has a place with them now.

 **8/** This is how Kagome's life with the villagers start. She becomes the de-facto healer of the village and in return, the villagers bring her things as payment: food, clothes, a new pair of shoes, a clip for her hair. Some villagers when they find that she's not a mute, take it upon themselves to teach her their language. This is how Kagome gradually learns the language and a little about this new world she is in.

9/ A few months after Kagome starts living with the village, the villagers receive a missive from the lord of the country turns out that the lord's son himself has come down with the plague and rumors of city healers capable of curing that disease is just that: rumors. The lord has heard of news of a healer in this village who is capable of healing the disease and though he is riddled with doubts and suspicions that she is no more than a fraud, he is desperate to save his beloved son. And for that reason, the healer named Kagome is thus summoned to the lord's castle to attempt to heal his son. If she succeeds, he will reward her. If not...

The villagers are puzzled by the missive. The lord of this tiny nation (more like a city state really, with the only major city being mostly a village) is not an unjust lord. They say perhaps he is made mad with the illness of his son and tell Kagome not to go, that they can hide her if he sends soldiers to take her forcefully. Those soldiers are their sons, brothers and fathers anyway so it's not like they have much ground to push the villagers around. But Kagome refuses. She says that she takes her role as the healer of the village seriously and will not reject anyone who is in pain or sickness. So she goes.

Kagome arrives at the castle (which is only a few hours ride from the village) to find that just as the villagers say, the lord is devastated by the illness of his son (which is as good as a death sentence in those time). He is an old man with white hair and a long beard and once he sees Kagome gets on his knees to beg for her help (at the admonishment of his advisers that a lord, even a very minor one, should never assume such position in front of a mere commoner). Ignoring the admonishment of his advisers, the lord tells Kagome that he is not rich nor is his nation a mighty one, he has enough awareness to know and admit that. He says that because of this accursed wars between greater nations, he has lost much, his wife, his brothers and sisters, his wealth. His son is the only thing of worth he really has left and he will do anything to save his son. He tells Kagome that if she saves his son, then he will give anything she wants, anything at all. But she fails and it turns out she's just a fraud who preys on desperate people whose loved ones are suffering, then he will kill her. He will have her tortured, her skin pulled and her head shaved, and then he will burn her slowly to death. Just as the villagers say, the lord is mad with worry and desperation.

Faced with these threats, Kagome is largely unaffected because a/she's been through worse and b/ she sees her past self in the lord. Once she was just as desperate and mad with grief, mad enough to commit atrocities far more than this old, feeble man in rich robes could ever hope to achieve. And so ignoring the whispering and accusations of the court, courtesans, and advisers behind her, Kagome goes into the sick chamber, takes one look at the son, and promptly heals him with a touch of her hand.

The court is shocked. The lord is deliriously happy. The advisers are wary. They say this may be a trick and that the prince may come down sick once again when Kagome is safely far away with whatever rewards she demands, so they 'ask' her to stay for a time so that they can fully verify that the prince is really back in health.

So Kagome does that (with not shits given. She's kinda blase about most threats now because she's been through much much worse). For several days, she is kept almost a prisoner in a room in the castle. She is fed of course and given many comforts but she is always accompanied by guards and is not allowed to leave the castle ground or indeed goes anywhere out of the guest wing at all.

On the fourth day of Kagome's stay at the castle, the lord comes to visit her without the company of his paranoid advisers. He strikes up conversation with Kagome. First, he apologizes for his behavior when they first met. He says regardless of the grief he was in, that was no excuse for him to act that way. Second, he asks Kagome what she wants for rewards?

She asks him if the court has decided that the prince is indeed well and that she plays no trick on them. The lord says not yet, but that they are simply obstinate fools who won't accept things that go beyond their understanding. He apologizes for their behavior and assures her that it's just a matter of time before they see this waiting is a pointless endeavor. He repeats his question on what Kagome wants for rewards.

Kagome says she wants nothing. She didn't become a healer for want of riches. She did it simply because people needed her to be one. Though this patient is a prince, it makes no difference to her. Even if he were a destitute peasant, a criminal, or worse, she will still not reject him.

The lord comments her for her commitment, then after a period of quiet, he asks Kagome if she has lost not only all she holds dear but also her reason to live, and that if this loss is due to her own mistake. Kagome is a little surprised and asks how he knows. The lord says he recognizes the same sorrow and aimlessness he once went through in her, that she too is now looking (whether she knows it or not) for a reason to live.

He tells her his own story, how he was once a young and power hungry lord. Though his country was small, it possessed special gemstones called Ttang ui Jinju (a.k.a. Pearls of the Earth) that can be mined in a couple mines located at the heart of this small nation. When he was young, the lord pushed for extensive mining of these gems and sold them to fund his army. War was the vogue of those in power of the day and the lord wished to build a strong enough army to conquer the neighboring countries and become a daimyo in full and not just a minor lord of some backward nation. For a while, this worked and he conquered two neighboring nations. But eventually, the mines dried up and so did the lord's funding. Left without a way to maintain a healthy cash flow for his army, he was forced to cut back on his military spending and downsize his own army. Without a large army, eventually he lost control of his two vassal nations both of whom turned back to attack his birth country. In the aftermath, not only did he not bring prosperity and power to his nation, he ended up losing much of his wealth, his wife and daughter (who died in a raid) and his brothers (died during battle). Parts of his own land was cut and annexed by those nations as war preparation when he lost. He ended up far poorer and weaker than when he first started out. And only then did he see how much he actually had before he foolishly let his greed lead him down the wrong path. He says that is when he lost most of his reason to live, having had his own life dream shattered and losing his beloved wife and daughter in the process. It took him a long time to regain the will to live via his one surviving infant son, the very son who Kagome just saved the other day.

He then says that he sees the same sorrow and regret in Kagome and guesses that she must have made a terrible mistake and lost all she knew because of it.

Kagome is shaken by the lord's query and does not quite know how to answer. The lord, when he sees this, presses no more. He simply pats her on the head (like a grandpa to a granddaughter), smiles at her and say there's no rush, one needs time to get over past tragedy and that he hopes she will find her reason to live soon, perhaps here even.

 **10/** A few more days go by. As the lord promises, the court finally recognize Kagome's ability as a healer and that she has successfully cured the illness in the prince. In front of this court, the Lord decrees that his reward to Kagome is through adoption. He hereby takes this girl (Kagome is around 17-18 at the time) as his own daughter, not by blood but by honor, and says that though she comes not from his line, she is to be afforded all respects, all rights, and all duties as if she were his own child by birth.

Both Kagome and the court are shocked by the lord's decree. The advisers try to tell the lord that this is a bad decision and that Kagome is a mere peasant whose origin they know not. She can be a spy for all they know. But the lord will not be moved. Kagome is now a princess and they best not disrespect her less their heads leave their neck (he's joking of course but with enough point to it that his advisers know if they reject Kagome or try to harm her in anyway, he will not hesitate to make that joke a reality).

 **11/** This event marks the second phase of Kagome's life. She still mostly stays with the villagers of course (who is awed by her new status as the princess of their nation, adopted yes, but still). Kagome tells them to treat her no different from before. She's still their healer and nothing has really changed about that.

She's wrong of course, because things will change. One day, the lord summons her to his room where he talks to her in private about the way she heals people. He says he has gone far and wide in his search for a cure for his son and nothing about her method of healing aligns with what he knows of the medicinal sciences. He also observes that while her healing ability is unquestionable, she also lacks basic knowledge that all trained doctors should know. He guesses what she has is a special ability like those possessed by the ninja hired by many richer and bigger nations. This is the first time Kagome hears of ninja with magical abilities in this world (since the villagers and most people of the court are just normal people). The lord calls in a personal guard who knows a little ninjutsu and has him demonstrate his ability to Kagome (a D rank suiton and a bunshin jutsu).

Then the lord tells Kagome that while he doesn't know much about ninja nor their abilities, but he knows that her power must be a rare one because while ninja are versed in the art of killing, few of them possess a power like hers. He says if she can do what most renown doctors in the country cannot with just a touch of her hand, then her power is already far beyond what is considered normal to these ninja, and that powers such as hers are usually hunted after... especially if the bearers are female of breeding age. He suggests that Kagome learns the science of medicine and healing in the way a normal person would to camouflage the true extent of her abilities. He also says that while such abilities are powerful, they usually have limits or drawbacks (such as drawing on the user's life force to heal) to them and that it is not prudent to count on them to the exclusion of other alternatives.

The lord is right. Kagome's exceptional healing abilities come from harboring the full Shikon in her soul. Every time she uses it, she fears of one day being overtaken by the evil in the Shikon or that the Shikon may leave 'side effects' on the people she heals (i.e. ala all the demons that try to use the Shikon to become stronger). Also, her healing abilities have limitations due to her lack of knowledge. There are times when Kagome has healed broken limbs wrong by not setting them before applying her healing power on them. Though those mistakes can be fixed (via breaking the limb again, sets it, and then heals it the proper way), she fears making a mistake that cannot be repaired out of ignorance one day.

So Kagome takes the lord's advice and starts training as a doctor. Since she is now his honorary daughter, the lord provides teachers, books, and other supplies for her. Since he sees that Kagome is also mostly ignorant of this world, he also gets her tutors and teachers in other subjects (i.e. history, written language, politics, court etiquette, world affairs, the general management of a country). When Kagome questions him on the extra classes, he merely says this is because she is now a princess of the country and the princess should not be ignorant on these subjects. Kagome doesn't really think so (I'm not an actual princess. I never wanted to be one. You were the one who insisted I become your daughter), but humors him because she thinks he is an old man who wants a little daughter of his own to dote on in the absence of the one he lost decades ago.

Anyhow, this sequence of events enables Kagome to deepen her knowledge and abilities as a real doctor and not just a person with magic healing hands. It enables her to prevent diseases and injuries instead of just treating it when it happens. Prevention is always better.

As part of her princess status, the lord orders her own home to be constructed in the village (at Kagome's insistence because she doesn't want her own wing in the castle that he first suggests). It's a small and cozy home, with an attached clinic so that she has space to work, a small nursery for her budding medicinal plant garden, and a rudimentary lab for distilling medicine. The creation of this home effectively enables the next part of the plot.

 **12/** Over time (a few years), Kagome's fame as a talented doctor grows and grows until her names become known beyond the border of that tiny nation. She has visitors and patients from other countries now, and as she promises, Kagome turns none away. She doesn't take money as payment, but asks for favors done for the public good of that country she lives in (she sees this as a way of repaying them for having taken her in and given her a place to stay and a family to care for. Because she has all these people to take care of and people who care for her well-beings such as the children, the villagers and the lord of the castle, her sorrow and heartache gradually diminishes and her suicidal thoughts cease).

Most people who seek Kagome's healing are poor and desperate, but among them are also those few who are rich and influential - great merchants or lords and ladies of minor countries from far away. Whereas other patients pay by items from their own home such as food or things they make themselves, these few patients show their gratitude by adding roads, bridges and community buildings to the small nation. This way, Kagome slowly but gradually brings more wealth and prosperity to the village and the country, eventually turning what was once a small backwater place into a still small but budding city state on its right.

This is when things begin to complicate. As Kagome's name as a talented doctor grows, so too does her reputation of never turning away a patient regardless of their origin, their wealth, or their allegiance. Because of the constant wars of this world, allegiance is a topic of extreme importance. Doctors and healers in this world are important personnel to their respective countries or establishments and since they don't have anything similar to the Hippocratic Oath of our world, they will often reject to treat someone not of their own faction or from a faction they deem not worth their attention (i.e. very similar to how doctors and healers are in eras before Hippocratic Oaths and in countries where they don't have similar institutions. Think Sengoku Jidai, the war of roses in England, etc... It's much the same. If you aren't anybody important or not from the same political faction, the best medical treatment you can hope for is from herb women or men of dubious skill). This makes Kagome a unique case... especially to a certain class of people. The ninja.

This is before the founding of the Hidden Village where ninja become an institutionalized and somewhat respectable caste of people. In this era, ninja is a dirty world, a name for those mercenary whose loyalty can be bought and sold and counted with coins, in other words, not people that the best doctors and healers of that time will give attention to (unless they pay their weight in gold of course). But here is this one doctor whose name is rising and rising among even the rich and influential and whose reputation says she turns none away.

Before long, Kagome is visited by her first ninja patients. They are a desperate bunch, wounded and near dying in the aftermath of a battle and have no other option but to try their luck with this 'healer Higurashi' they have heard about. They hope for nothing, and in truth half expect her to turn them to the authority immediately, but at least by doing this, it's still better than just lie down and die. They come into Kagome's home at night (yeah cause ninja at those days don't do the whole I'm a ninja in plain daylight) to seek her help. Kagome at first is terrified of their presence (strangers visiting you in the middle of the night and you are a young woman living mostly alone. Tell me you wouldn't be scared in her situation too), but once she calms down, she sees that these people are here for healing. So she takes them in, tend to their wound, keep their identity a secret, and when they are about to leave, ask for nothing but good deeds done for the sake of the people.

The ninja are puzzled and bemused. They honestly didn't expect to be treated that way (like normal people and not blood thirsty thugs out to kill everybody else. Ninja have bad reputation in those days and age, due mostly to their participating in wars and raids as proxy to other countries). They are the first. After them, more and more wounded, sick or dying ninja start seeking out 'the healer' (that's how they refer to her, as 'The Healer'). Kagome treats them the same as everybody else regardless of their allegiance or origin. She wishes to follow the creed she has set out for herself. But doing this is far more difficult in reality.

 **13/** Troubles come as the number of ninja seeking Kagome's help grows. Before long, enemies start running into each other in the healer's small clinic. These encounters are often violent despite Kagome's best attempt to establish control and order. She may be their healer but the other guy killed their family and friends. If she's so compassionate and can look past their dirty background as ninja, surely the healer can forgive them this transgression too (that's how those ninja think anyhow). These incidents are small and more or less contained at first mostly because when these guys run into each other, they generally are in no shape to duke it out anymore. But eventually, some groups get it into their own head that the healer's clinic is actually an excellent place to stake out and clean up weakened enemy ninja. That's when the violence can no longer be contained.

A major altercation leaves Kagome with a partially destroyed clinic, several wounded and near dying patients and herself truly angry for the first time in years. Using her barrier ability, she ejects the troublemakers out of the country (surprise mother fuckers! I'm not just a harmless young woman. I warned you and you didn't listen to me. Now watch as I boot your ass from here to kingdom come! Well ok, not really in those words but Kagome will say something similar) and isolate the other parties (who while they didn't start the episode did take part in the violence quiet enthusiastically despite Kagome trying to stop them). Because of this altercation, Kagome can no longer keep secret the identity of her patients any more. The villagers, when they find out about is, are worried but don't really reject her since the way they see it, she did save their lives and has been instrumental in making things much better in the country. They understand her desire to help those in need and she's young still so there's a reason for her naivete.

The lord on the other hand has no problem voicing his concerns to Kag. He says that all nice things in this world need protecting and while it's good that she is so committed to being a healer, she must also be aware of the danger she or her patients pose to the people around her. If she cannot control them, then best not receive them at all. The lord maybe indebted to Kagome and sees her as his own daughter but he is also a ruler and must be concerned for the safety of his people. These ninja that Kagome has been harboring, many of them are considered criminals under the law of the country. As long as they stay put within her clinic, that is fine, but it doesn't look like she can get them to stay put at all. Kagome takes his words to heart, and promises that she will come up with a way to resolve the situation.

Her solution is to rebuild her clinic in a location detached from the main body of the village. The location she chose is the run-down church she once lived in years ago when she first arrived in this world. It's not too far away from the village and the castle and since it's still standing after all those years, then she figures the foundation must be good. With the help of the lord, Kagome renovates the old church back to perfect condition and use this as her clinic. To prevent another violent altercation from taking place, Kagome sets up a barrier similar to one she once saw on Mt. Hakurei (remember that arc revolving around a dead monk corrupted by Naraku. Yeah that one). This barrier allows her to evict violent visitors at will (basically a DDOS denial of service system) or to barricade them inside the clinic and restrict their access to the village. The detached location of the clinic means that if there are fallouts she can't contain, then at least no villagers will be hurt.

This sets the foundation to the healer's clinic becoming known as a true neutral zone where inter-clan violence and revenge is absolutely intolerable in the ninja world. From this point on, the healer's clinic becomes an inviolable haven of healing. A miraculous feat considering the constant wars and bloodshed of this era.

 **14/** The next thing to happen is an event that shakes the small country and its citizens to their core. The horns of war have been sounded between two great nations. The daimyo of one of those two just so happen to be the regional daimyo to whom the lord of the castle owes his allegiance too. As soon as war is declared, the daimyo sends a missive demanding the castle lord to send his force as contribution to this war. The castle lord has no choice but to obey. Despite the demilitarized state of the country, he does have a small standing army in wait. Since the castle lord is too old to lead this army, the task falls to his young son (the one Kagome saved) who is only a few years older than Kag at the time. The prince departs with the army. Their departure is met with much trepidation from the villagers and the court. The prince is young and inexperienced, and in a war like this, their little army means next to nothing on the battlefield. But allegiance is allegiance and the castle lord must fulfill his to the daimyo. Such is the way of the time.

The small country follows the progress of the young prince with both eagerness and anxiety. They cheer and celebrate for his few small victories and send their solace with each setback. This goes on for nearly a year until at last, their worst fear becomes a reality. The prince and their small army are met with an impossible foe, beset by enemies on all sides and ambushed by ninja, they die in droves. The young prince falls in battle and only half his body makes its way home. The other half is crushed to a pulp by a doton technique by an enemy ninja. The lord of the castle is devastated at news of his son's death and falls into sickness. Though Kagome tries her best, he gradually grows weak until he is on his deathbed.

 **15/** The castle lord's dying scene is a pivotal point to Kagome's growth as a character. Kagome is distraught because she cannot stop his death She starts having vivid flashback to the time when she was helpless against the death of her friends. The castle lord sees this and as he lays dying, attempts to comfort her. He says she has tried her best. However, all humans must eventually answer the call of the death god. She maybe a very good healer, but in the end, humans are no god, and she must remember this because to harbor delusions of defying the natural order of death and life is hubris of the highest order and a road straight to madness. This part is homage to the clause "I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures which are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism" in the modern Hippocratic oath (this is a real problem in medical professions. Doctors can, at times, easily fall prey to zeal of overtreatment, thinking themselves capable of stopping all diseases, or to nihilism in realizing that even when they have staved off death today, it will still come to their patients eventually. It is a very fine mental balance for a lot of medical professionals)

Kag starts crying then. Over the years, she has come to see the castle lord as a father figure and to lose him is a major blow to her. The lord pats her head, tells her that he has lived a long life and by meeting her, he was able to lay to rest a lot of his regrets. He thanks her for her companionship in the few last years of his life. Then he turns to the advisers and top members of his court and declare to them that with his death, he henceforth transfers his rulership over to the new lady of the country, Kagome Higurashi of the 'so and so' clan. His court and advisers are stunned but they don't dare defy the wish of the dying ruler. Then, with his last breath, he turns to Kagome and says.

"I wished to bring peace and prosperity to this country, but I failed. This world is a place filled with cruel and violent men. A girl with a gentle heart such as you, I don't know how you will fare. I worry that you won't survive, that your dream will be crushed and your heart shattered by such men, but what do I know? I'm just an old, feeble man. You are stronger than you appear. My way of the sword already failed. Perhaps your way of compassion and acceptance will light a different path."

Then, threading his hand through her hair, his eyes losing life and focus, he says "Live, Kagome, live gloriously."

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 **TBC in the next part… which should be up in 2-3 days.**


	2. Clan War Era 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except for the plot and the world building and the small army of OC characters. Actually, now that I think about it, I own a lot. But… uh… not the stuff that can make money… if you get my drift.

This is a collection of AU ideas branching out from my other Inuyasha/Naruto crossover story 'From the Garden of Gods'. Some of the AUs I have promised: Kumo AU, Clan War Era AU, among a few. None of these are full-blown story. Most of them will be written as bare plot lines, drafts, or one-shots covering the premise, plot hooks, and specific events in the story lines. If I have the time, I will try to turn these AUs into full-blown stories, but as it is right now, I have too many story ideas and too little time. If anybody reading this wants to try their hands at turning them into full stories, be my guest. And don't forget to send me a notice when you do. I'd love to check out people's interpretation of the plot lines I sketch out. Most of these AUs probably won't be beta-ed either as my betas are largely busy these days and I really don't want to bother them too much. I know I can be a big bother to them when I get too excited with story ideas. If you want to help me out once in a while, send me a text. If you want to discuss story ideas with me or just want to bounce ideas, don't feel shy either. And now, without further ado…

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 **Clan War Era AU – Part 2 (Kagome lands in Naruto world during the Clan War Era preceding the founding of the Hidden Village system)**

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 **16/** The lord's death paves the way to the ending portion of the first arc of this storyline. With great reluctance and trepidation, the court accepts Kagome as the new lady. The common people rejoice and refer to her as the people's leader, but the upper echelons and the nobility (very small) of the country fear that they are heading towards ruination. Not only is the new ruler a young and inexperienced woman, she is not even of noble blood. There are talks of a coup, or of not honoring the deceased lord's dying wish. The lord was sick after all and must be out of his mind to place the rule of a country, no matter how small and inconsequential, in the hand of an untested young chit (Kag is around 20 years old at this point). Many of the nobles actually expect the advisors to not go through with the late ruler's request and instead choose the next ruler from the nobility caste of the country. But much to the surprise of the nobles, the advisers (who are known to frequently disagree with the dead lord over his decisions regarding Kagome) actually honor the lord's decision and instate Kagome as the new lady ruler of the country.

This event is Kagome's test of character in the plot line. While she has a good heart, not all people and ideals survive the test of leadership and the difficult decisions that come with it. This part requires and facilitates Kagome's maturity as a character, further departing from her teenage girl persona as in canon. She can no longer be just a follower as in canon. Now,she must be a leader, a visionary, a doer. She must prove her mettle against the test of reality and see if her pacifistic and compassionate ideals can survive.

This also aligns with my interpretation of Kagome as a spiritual and social leader. Canon Kagome has this potential (she was the heart of the Inu gang and often the one who bound its members together) but it was never explored by Rumiko. I want to see the full possibilities of it here. I think Kagome has far more courage and smarts than Rumiko allowed her to show in canon.

Kagome's challenges as a ruler and country leader are many folds. First of all, the country is small, and the people not really all that rich despite the improvement courtesy of Kag's clinic over the years. They have no security nor insurance against being invaded by other neighboring nations since their small standing army is already wiped out along with the late prince. Kagome herself, despite having been officially instated by the late Lord's personal advisers still does not have the trust and loyalty of the nobility class. And most important of all, they still owe their allegiance to the daimyo. The war that caused the death of the late prince is still raging and once Kagome accepts office as the new lady (in honor of the dead lord's dying wish. She herself has no wish for the office), the daimyo immediately sends a missive to the new ruler demanding yet more military force and a new general. Of course, Kagome's tiny country cannot meet the daimyo's demand. Majority of young men of fighting age in the country are already dead. Most people left are women, children, and the elderly. The few young men remaining in the village and the castle are scholars, government officials, those with special needs, or those too sick for military service. They have no capability of raising yet another army and staffing it with a war general. Yet answering this demand is the first thing Kagome must do as the new ruler.

The advisers sketch out several courses of actions for Kagome, most of which consist of a lot of kowtowing, apologizing, and submitting higher taxes and tributes to the daimyo. One option even has her offering herself as a new concubine to… not the daimyo… but one of the many sons of the daimyo to cement the bond between two nations. Basically it's full on political submission to a bigger and more powerful country. The only thing they can do to top that is to suggest to Kagome that she goes to the daimyo court, flops over, and shows him her belly in submission.

Kagome's choice… is none of those options. Instead, with the help of a young scribe (who is one of the children who once played the Hide and Seek game with the beast girl of the forest all those years ago), she pens a letter to the daimyo to politely declare her intention of not submitting to his unreasonable demand as well as severing the allegiance between her city state country and the daimyo's empire. Also, Adi-fucking-os you warmongering bastard! Okay, maybe not in those words, but you get the gist yeah?

 **17/** Kagome sends the response letter before the advisers can check and approve her reply. So of course, once the advisers find out the content of her letter, they both blow a gasket, which, of course, immediately leads to a spat between the advisers and Kagome. The advisers are furious and both claim that Kagome's response to the daimyo is a catastrophic mistake, a political blunder of epic proportions. They explain to her that their city-state is a tiny one compared to the might of the Earth Daimyo's empire (yep, Daimyo confirmed as Earth Daimyo and he was fighting against Fire Daimyo previously). Even in the golden day of this city state (back 30-40 years ago when their army, funded with money from selling gem stones, was much bigger and better equipped), they still didn't stand a chance against the Daimyo and in the aftermath of their disastrous bid for expansion via conquest, it was the Daimyo who gave them the financial funds to rebuild and stabilize their country. They cannot in any circumstance afford to anger the Daimyo. They say that they understand Kagome's frustration with the Daimyo's demand but such is the right of emperors and Kagome maybe the new princess ruler, but she is only ruler of a tiny, tiny country that cannot even defend itself let alone afford to tick off the dragon living next to it. Once the Daimyo receives her letter, he will surely send an army to correct her foolish way of thinking. He won't stop at punishing Kagome alone though, because never before has a vassal country responded to him so insolently. It's very likely that he will take out his anger not only on the court but on the citizens too. After all, once their gem mines dried up, this country became inconsequential in global politics and has stayed that way for years now. It simply has nothing else going for it.

Then the advisers go on to say that they regret their choice to instate Kagome as the ruler. They explain that they actually disagree with the late lord's decision, but decide to honor his dying wish any way because they have been friends ever since they were teenagers. They grew up together as schoolmates, went to war together. When the late lord became a father, both advisers were there for him. They had been through thick and thin. Though they had their disagreements, they had been steadfast friends through hardship and betrayal. Though they both deeply disagree with the lord's decision to transfer his rulership to Kagome, they cannot ignore the last wish of a dear friend and that is why, even when they think Kagome is a bad choice as ruler being both too young and too idealistic, they still go ahead and instate her.

They think she is a good person, but it takes much more to govern an entire country. As a ruler, every decision of her will affect the lives of all the citizens and nobility of the country. When she goes abroad to attend diplomatic functions, her person will reflect the country itself. This is not a position that can be taken lightly and things like deciding how to reply to the Daimyo is not something she can decide on a whim no matter how she feels about the Daimyo.

In short, the advisers think Kagome is too young and too inexperienced for the job.

Both advisers (from here on out known as the Minister of the Right and the Minister of the Left. Rightie and Leftie for short) start out the argument furious with Kagome, but as the argument goes on, their regret and grief (they did just lose a dear friend after all, and then saw dear friend's immediate successor made what they believed to be a catastrophic blunder that would likely see the country razed to the ground by the Earth Daimyo's army) get to them and they grow hopeless.

Then they tell Kagome that once the nobility find out about her action, they will surely call for her blood. They will force both Ministers to declare her action treasonous and going against the interest of the country, capture her and send her to the Earth Daimyo as a criminal to do with as he wishes. They will do that because they will see that as the only way to stave off the Daimyo's fury and save their hides.

The ministers end their tirade (which has grown weaker and more despondent in tone as they go on) with a defeated apology to Kagome, saying that they have been wrong in deciding to go with their friend's dying wish and have instead brought great misfortune to her. It is not entirely her fault that she sent such a disastrous letter to the Daimyo, but also their negligence that allowed her to send such a letter in the first place.

Up until this point, Kagome listens to the ministers calmly and once they are done, she proceeds to explain her case. She says that she understands the minister's perspective and appreciate their trying to help her by providing various options (all those submissive choices earlier) for her to choose. However, she feels that none of the options will turn out well for the country and the people. She says that over the last few months and through reading the royal missive from the Daimyo, she has come to the conclusion that the Daimyo does not care for her and her people. Whether they live or die, prosper or grow weak and destitute, none of that matters to him. It is evident in his actions. This country's main industry is agriculture and the workforce that powers it is mainly young people, including the men that have been drafted into the army previously. By answering his first request for troops, their tiny economy already suffered a major blow. It was planting season when the late lord assembled the troops and thus a majority of their workforce was taken away, thus greatly reducing this year's yield. By answering the Daimyo's first request, the country has already performed a great sacrifice. But does the Daimyo acknowledge that? No! Instead he dismissed their force as 'barely sufficient for his needs', proceeded to throw their soldiers around carelessly and when they died in droves simply sent a notice and written admonishment about the quality of troops sent. He didn't even acknowledge the dead prince!

And now he wants yet more troops?!

This is among the few times we get to see Kagome being truly angry. She goes on to explain that despite her misgivings regarding the Daimyo she has carefully considered the options provided to her by the ministers. The way she sees it, these options will surely placate him somewhat but it will come at the cost of ruin for the country. Winter is coming, and because they had to assemble troops earlier on in the year, the country ended up not producing enough food for the people. Now more than ever, they need to open up their national coffer to buy food and prepare for the hard winter that is coming. There are also reparations and compensations for families whose sons, brothers or fathers perished in battles to consider. They aren't a rich country. Kagome is perfectly aware of that, and so their finance, while not bad, is not in such a surplus that they can afford to placate the Daimyo with expensive tributes and prepare their people for the coming winter at the same time. If they go with the placating option, the people of this country will surely perish en masse in the winter to come, and where will they be then? A country with a dead economy and even deader people? The few that survive will have next to nothing to look forward to. The nobility will become commoners in everything but name, and the commoners will be pushed into the absolute end of poverty. By then, they will have become a destitute people and easy pickings for the roving bands of bandits that are known to frequent the area. In this era of chaos, anything can and will happen.

Kagome then states that if both options, placating the Daimyo or refusing to answer to his demand, end up with the country in ruin then she absolutely does not want to bow her head to a ruler who thinks nothing of his people, who makes decisions that affect hundreds of thousands of people on a whim, who weeps not for the soldiers who die in his name and cares not for those who pledge their allegiance to him and who bleed so that his country may become prosperous.

At the end of this, Kagome tells the ministers that she perfectly understands the tremendous risk that she is taking. She says she has a plan to protect the country from the Daimyo's wrath, then begs them for their trust and help. She is aware that she is very inexperienced when it comes to running an entire country no matter how small and that without their help, she will surely stumble and the people will end up all the worse for it.

Kagome shares her plan when the ministers ask what her plan is and after some heavy discussion and a quick demonstration, she manages to convince both of them that her plan has a chance of working. But despite their approval, both ministers declare that they alone cannot help her with her plan, not one of such scope. She must make a stand in front of the nobility of the country. Kagome agrees with their request but demands that the common villagers and people must be allowed in as well because this is also their country.

 **18/** Note on characterization: this part around here include some heavy character building moments for Kag. The first thing shown is her courage and decisiveness as a leader when pushed into situations when one side is the clear benefits of the people and the other side is political propriety. I have always thought that between Kagome and Inuyasha, she is the one with the bigger set of balls. Think about all the pivotal moments in canon when they stand against Sesshomaru or Naraku. Sure they both stand their ground, but it's very different when you are a big, burly half-youkai who can regenerate from most wounds and who is all but desensitized to the violence and bloodshed of the era. Kagome is just a normal highschool girl at the time with a fragile, mortal body and yet she still has the courage to stand against youkai much more powerful than Inu, knowing that a slip is all it takes to end her life or grievously wound her. I want to see her courage and decisiveness in full and center display here and not in the trivialized, made for comedic effect fashion that Rumiko usually showed her in.

This is also the point where a cast of auxiliary characters are developed. The first of these are the two Ministers of the Right and of the Left. Up until now in the story, they are mostly presented with a slight antagonistic slant, usually with them being the dissenting voice against the deceased lord's decisions regarding and clear affection for Kagome. This is the first time in the story when we are treated to their perspectives and see that they actually have valid reasons to be skeptical and resisting. They are simply old men who have seen much of the world's horrors and cruelties and thus made paranoid by them. Their worries and actions, while harsh, are not without logic to them.

The Minister of the Right takes care of the more bureaucratic and economic management of the country while the Minister of the Left is in charge of military and security (including information gathering and such but that division is basically a one man department in this tiny country. Yep, they are in pretty shabby shape). Together, they provide counsel on internal and external affairs. Since they are old friends, outside of formal function, they do a lot of verbal riposte back and forth. This can be played up to further define their characters, endear them to the readers, and serve as comedic break.

The Minister of the Right is the more chatty of the two and whenever he's right about something, he will smugly declare to his counterpart that "Of course I'm right. I'm the minister of the Right after all!" which the Minister of the Left especially hates (whenever that happens, Leftie usually reminiscences back to the time when they were young and hadn't yet become ministers of the country. If it weren't for that one incident, he would be the Minister of the Right and not this insufferable braggart over here). However, in the situation that the Minister of the Right is wrong, then Leftie turns the table with statements such as "Oh? It seems like the right is not so right this time around. Maybe you should change your title from Minister of the Right to Minister of the Sometimes Right then." or "Hah! Didn't you know Left is the new Right these days, you outdated walnut?"

These two guys will eventually become Kagome's constant companions and counsel her in the management of the country.

A few of the children who once played the hide and seek game with kemono girl Kagome are also slated for character building. This country needs its leaders, builders, and doers after all, but since they are still quite young around this point (teenagers, all of them), this is only hinted at to prepare for their real character building at a later point in the story.

 **19/** An assembly of the nobility and the people of the one major town/small city of the country is called. The location is the crossroad right in front of the castle, around 1-2 hours from the town. This is where Kagome makes her stand in front of the country and nobility. By that time, rumors have leaked about the Daimyo's demand but most people still don't know how Kagome has replied to him, or if she has replied at all. Everybody is understandably anxious, the common people because they just lost so many people and had a bad harvest on top of that, the nobility because they know this is a difficult political situation and they don't have a lot of faith in this new, young ruler.

So, standing before an audience of thousands of people who have gathered to see her address the nation, Kagome officially informs the people of the Daimyo's demands. Then she proceeds to declare to them all that instead of answering this demand, she has refused to submit the Daimyo and has officially severed the country's allegiance to him. She takes out a copy of the missive from the Daimyo and in a slow, clear voice reads it out loud for all the people to hear. Then she takes out a copy of her own reply letter to him, and reads that one too (including the polite 'Adi-fucking-os, you warmongering bastard!' part).

Around this time, the nobility are just about shitting their pants in shock, horror, and anger. Off stage, there are some calling for her immediate capture but they are swiftly brought into line by the guards the two Ministers have prepared. The common people on the other hand are less worried and more in awe of the audacity of this young ruler. Between the nobility and the common people, it's the common people who suffer the most under the Daimyo's relentless demands. The average townie isn't exactly fond of him though they do still think that submitting to him is still the way things are done (as they have been done for centuries now, force of habit and all that). To them, Kagome's action regarding the Daimyo's demand is both cathartic and worrying, with the cathartic part being the more powerful one.

Kagome then starts to explain her reasoning to the assembled people in the same way that she explained herself to the ministers. She clearly points out that they do not have the ability to raise yet another army, as well as the fact that if they try to placate the Daimyo with higher taxes and tributes, they will only end up digging a grave for themselves. She makes clear that this situation affects everyone, commoners and nobles both, as well as the callousness of the Daimyo in regards to the plight of not only the common people of this country but also the nobles of this country, many of whom have lost fortunes in bad harvests and in outfitting the army sent his way. She says that knowing this, she cannot in good conscience submit to the Daimyo out of political propriety no matter the pressure she is in because she knows it will only end up with more of her people dying or going homeless in the coming winter.

Now she hears the anger and resentment rising in the hearts of the people. Those who stand in the crowd are those who have lost brothers, fathers, and sons to a senseless war that has nothing to do with them in the first place. To hear the Daimyo's callous dismissal of their sacrifice as nothing more than inadequately trained troops from a backwater country is like having salt rubbed into open wounds. But mingled in that anger is also fear and uncertainty. Most villagers of this era don't know a whole lot about politics of the rich and powerful, but they have enough experience to know that there will be consequences for the letter Kagome has sent. For a little country like them to refuse the whims of a much bigger and more powerful empire… it just isn't done. Despite how good Kagome's refusal to bend to the whims of the Daimyo feels, they have all heard of entire towns and cities massacred by royal troops for smaller offences. The same thing will surely happen to them now.

People start speaking up from the crowd then, commoners and nobles both, asking questions that everybody already knows the answer too. What will the Daimyo do to them? Has he sent a reply yet? And is there a way to stop Kagome's letter from reaching him? Faced with these questions, Kagome gives her honest answers. The letter has already reached the capital of Earth nation. The Daimyo hasn't replied, but most likely he will send troops to punish this wayward vassal country. She reiterates what the ministers told her before, that the Daimyo's wrath most likely won't be satisfied with taking her lives and the lives of her court alone. The common people won't escape his fury either, because he's that kind of ruler who places himself above everyone else, who sees his subjects as nothing more than pawns, nothing more than the wild weeds that grow from the earth that he can freely tramble on.

Now the panic begins. Now people start feeling the full throes of fear and despair. Now the voices that call for Kagome's incarceration from the nobility grow louder than ever and she can see heads in the common section turning to those voices, listening to those voices. Undaunted, Kagome keeps on speaking. She acknowledges the angry nobles calling for her head, admitting that it is one way with which they can appease the Daimyo and avoid his wrath, but also points out that it's not a guaranteed solution. For all they know, the Daimyo will go on ahead and execute the rest of them anyway. He's been known to do that before. To him, the nobles of this tiny nation are nothing more than country bumpkin rabble that barely deserve to be counted among the ranks of nobility. She is right of course but the voices from the noble section of the country shout again that it is the only way.

Now Kagome disagrees. She says there is another way, that she has a plan that can save them all from the Daimyo and the winter to come both. With the help of both ministers, Kagome describe the plan she has in mind. Her plan sounds farfetched to these common people, and she can see doubts taking place in their heart. Facing the crowd of villagers and townies who have come to see her, she earnestly asks for their help for this is a plan she cannot do alone. Then to the nobles of the country, she promises that if her plan fails, then she will gladly surrender herself up to them so that they can give her to the Daimyo to do with as he pleases. If her plan works, then everyone is happy. If it doesn't, then the nobles still get to throw her to the wolves and proclaim that they have nothing to do with Kagome's refusal to submit to the Daimyo. Either way, they will get what they want.

At the end of this, Kagome asks for the people's trust and makes a rousing speech to lift the people from the despair and hopelessness they are in.

"I know you doubt me still. In your eyes, I am young and inexperienced and have perhaps made an irreparable mistake that will lead the country to ruin. That maybe so, but here is what I know. I absolutely do not want to bow my head to a ruler who will treat the lives of his people as if they are worthless toys to be thrown around to his whims." Her eyes mist as she remembers what the late lord told her on his deathbed. "A ruler should put his people first and foremost. To a ruler, the happiness and prosperity of his people should take precedence over everything else, his own desires and ego included. I may be inexperienced and I may know nothing about running a country but that is what I believe in with all my heart. That is what Kazahana-sama (name of the late castle lord) taught me." As the name of the late lord is spoken, the people's hearts are moved. Kazahana is not a perfect ruler, nor a really good one to begin with, but he did honestly care for his people and that is more than they can so about the Daimyo. His name remind the people of a better time. "I stand now before you as your princess ruler, but years before, I was but a little girl lost and alone in the forest. I had nothing and no one to live for. But you took me in. You gave me a place to call home. You taught me everything I know of this world. On his deathbed, Kazahana-sama told me to live, to live gloriously, so that is what I shall do. But I don't want to live alone because you, all of you, have become my reason to live. I don't want to lose even one of you. So I beseech you all, trust in me! Live with me! We shall all live gloriously together!"

 **20/** Note on characterization: Kagome's national address is a pivotal moment in her character development. Before this event, Kagome is still more or less reluctant about this new role she has taken on. She accepted the office of ruler mostly out of respect for the late lord. In truth, she herself feels like she is not fit for the job of leader. She thinks of her past self, the high school girl whose biggest dreams in life are to get into a good school and to marry her half-youkai sweetheart and have many cute half-youkai children with him. But times have changed her, and she can no longer be that little girl of years past. She can only cling to that past for so long before she has to let go and move on. To live, to repay the kindness of the people who took her in, she must take up the mantle of ruler. This event cements her conviction and dedication to become a true leader to the people. This plot point is also the resolution of Kagome's trauma (from losing all her friends in Sengoku Jigai and being forced to exile herself to another dimension) and previous aimlessness to life. Before this point in the story, most of Kagome's actions are reactive to something else. She never took initiative. It were the children who dragged her out of the forest. It were the villagers and mothers who made her stay. She started her training as a doctor and other studies on the late lord's request and she accepted her office as the new princess ruler also on his request. This is reflective of Kagome's lack of drive in life, a product of her trauma and her losing her reason to live (she lost everything she knew at the start of the story: her family, her friends, her life, her world). Before the death of the castle lord, life just sort of happened to Kagome. People asked her things and she answered. She never really started anything by herself.

The incident with the Daimyo's demand and her conviction to defy his will is the turning point where Kagome finds her drive, her reason to live (in protecting and leading these people who took her in and gave her a home) and starts taking the initiative (starting with her letter to the Daimyo and continuing with her proposal to the ministers).

This event also sets the tone for Kagome's leading style. She is the kind of leader who not only inspires and lead her followers, but also empowers them. This is especially important in this era in which the mottos to ruling are 'divide and conquer', 'rule the mass with fear', and 'asskicking equals authority' (ala feudalistic ruling style where the ruling class keeps the lower classes uneducated and uninformed and thus easier to control with armed forces and rigid social customs). In this sense, she is an incredibly dangerous element to the current political system because she disrupts the status quo, elevates the common people, and questions the right to rule of the current ruling class (who are born into it but do not necessarily have the ability to actually rule).

 **21/** Kagome's plan is basically the bigger version of the non-violence barrier she set up around her clinic in the woods. But because it is far bigger, it also becomes much more difficult to handle. The principles of this barrier mirror that of Mt. Hakurei barrier except this one is several magnitudes bigger. Mt. Hakurei is just a single mountain. This is an entire country. There are many operational concerns for a barrier like this. One, Kagome cannot erect one of such size by herself immediately (because of the sheer scope and because she does not know the exact boundary line surrounding the country) . She will need anchors for her Miko ki to cling to and draw a vector around the nation. Two, she is not sure of the power output required to maintain such a barrier 24/7 for years (as sieges in this time era can last up to a decade or more depending on how bullheaded the people doing the sieging are). It's entirely possible that she will either run out of strength midway or dip too deep into the Shikon reservoir and be subsumed by the evil part of the Shikon. And three, the barrier must be flexible enough to still allow normal people to come into the country while repelling any invasion force. To weather an attack by the Daimyo's army, Kagome's people will need supplies bought from other nations to weather the coming winter. Besides, Kagome's clinic still receives many foreign patients (most of whom are ninja nowadays. She has become very popular with them) and she doesn't want to close it down.

Instead of using sutras as grounding anchors, Kagome uses seeds imbued with her power from her herb garden, believing them to be better anchors as they are living things with innate power of their own and thus will require less upkeep from her (whereas sutras are just paper imbued with power). Besides which, it's much easier to yank a sutra off the ground or wall than to uproot an entire tree. To carry out Kagome's plan, the entire population of the country is galvanized into actions. The nobles draw up the finance and arrange caravans heading to neighboring countries to acquire supplies as quickly as possible. The commoners on the other hand are arranged into groups to carry the seeds to countless spots along the boundary line of the nation where they plant these seeds into the earth. The castle's defense are split up and posted as sentries along the boundary to watch for the advance of the Daimyo's army.

The setup of the barrier transpires over the course of one week, with the people working against time once news of the Daimyo's army advance reaches them. Once all the seeds are in place, a messenger is sent to the castle to notify Kagome who sends her power to the thousands of anchor seeds surrounding the country. At once, the seeds sprout from their place deep in the earth (and in some cases from river depths or mountain stone beds). In a single night, an entire forest is grown. The forest is shaped like a belt following the border of the country, covering all terrains from land, river, to mountain. Bearing protective holy power, the trees resemble the sacred Goshinboku and glow white (similar to the Sleeping Forest in Final Fantasy : Advent Children) when the barrier is active. The barrier itself, instead of repelling invaders, is set to lead astray those heading towards its center with violent intentions (such as that of an invading army or bandits). To make sure that citizens stranded outside the barrier or honest people seeking help can still find their way in, Kagome creates a beacon out of a Pearl of the Land (the gem the country was once known for) the size of an egg. She hangs this beacon (which has a round shape just like the Shikon, only bigger) at the highest point of her clinic (the bell tower) where its light can be seen from across the white tree forest by anyone who seeks help and healing.

 **22.** A few days after the barrier is erected, the Daimyo's army arrive at the border of Kagome's country. They are confused by the sight of the glowing forest which was definitely not here when the scouts came to this place a few weeks ago. The general at the head of the army hesitates, but only for a minute or two, before giving the order to push ahead. They march into the forest, unheeding of the strange white light emitting from the heart of the trees, unheeding of the great trees themselves which look like they have been standing here for centuries, unheeding of the quiet, almost holy atmosphere in the air, unheeding of the fact that the light, neither sun nor moon, doesn't seem to be able to penetrate the thick foliage above their heads. They march on for hours, then days, then weeks, growing more and more confused and restless the longer they march. This is not a big country. Its size is barely larger than the usual city state. By all rights, they should have arrived at the one major city of the country weeks ago. They send scouts ahead to see when the forest ends and open land begins once more. They send out entire packs of soldiers to roam the forest and make sure they are on the right track. They send men climbing up the tree in hope of breaking through the top and see in which direction lay the city. The scouts they send return after days lost in the forest. The soldiers roam without direction, sometimes bumping into each other, sometimes getting lost for weeks before returning to the main army as if from a dream. The climbers climb and climb and climb and yet never seem capable of reaching the top of the trees. For all intents and purposes, this ethereally beautiful forest seems to go on endlessly.

As the weeks turn into months, the general of the army orders a ninja brought in, a genjutsu specialist to be exact, an Uchiha warrior of many decades of experience, cousin to the great clan head. The general believes this forest to be a big genjutsu laid out by an enemy ninja to confuse and entrap his army. He's not entirely wrong of course, but this protective magic is beyond even the famed Sharingan. The Uchiha specialist tries times and again. First he attempts to dispel the genjutsu, then he seeks to find the anchors of a massive illusion seal array. Finally he turns on his prized weapon, a pair of Mangekyo Sharingan, completely assured that he will be able to see through this illusion at last. But alas, even the Mangekyo Sharingan, most powerful of all doujutsu, bows before the power of this forest. When even the greatest Sharingan eyes, which can only be awakened at great personal price, fail, the Uchiha specialist throws up his hands in defeat and leave the army in shame.

Now, confusion turns into fear and restlessness into full-on panic. The forest before them no longer seems an ethereally beautiful sight but something dark and wicked, a foul sorcery they have never before seen. Then, someone in the army speaks up.

"I remember now. Here in this country they say resides a healer… or rather… a witch… for the feats she performs are miracles beyond the greatest of doctors. Her feats are such that people who have never seen her perform them think her a myth cooked up by the poor and desperate. She is the adopted daughter of the lord who once lived here, and is now queen of this country. This wicked forest is doubtless her work. Are we to remain in this forest, we shall surely die."

Thus spoken, the soldier turns tail and runs. The punishment for deserters from the royal army is death, but instead of capturing the man and bringing him to the general for execution, the soldiers behind him turn in the same direction and run for their life. Soldier by soldier, squad by squad, company by company, the royal army of the Earth Daimyo shrinks and shrinks and shrinks until the only man remains. Standing and screaming amidst a white glowing forest is the general himself. And then, when he finally realizes he is alone in this bewitching forest, he too turns and runs for his life.

And thus, the legend of the white forest and the witch queen that now resides in the city at its heart begins. But that legend tells only half of a tale. The other half tells of a different story, of a sacred place of healing and salvation, open to anyone who seeks The Healer's help and succor. It tells of a holy forest and the everlasting light at its heart, a beacon of hope in an age of unending wars and violence.

(This part here is written in the style of old fairy tales. The soldier's remark about the witch is written with a rhythm and rhyme that mimics free-verse poems, thus the few slightly iffy grammar spots. This part is written from the perspective of the invading army, and to them, this entire ordeal is like a nightmare, thus the dreamlike / fairy-tale-esque quality to the prose. If I ever turn this plotline into a full-blown fic, this section will be an entire chapter of its own, just because of the stylistic writing here)

 **23.** Back in Kagome's country, people are celebrating and partying like there's no tomorrow. For the last few months, they have all been watching the progress (or lack thereof) of the Earth Daimyo's army. For the first several days, Kagome is kept a prisoner inside her own castle by the nobility, most of whom are convinced this plan will fail. The commoners of the country have better opinions of Kagome's plan, but even they don't dare hope for such a miracle to occur. Most of them have seen Kagome's barrier of course, but this is too far beyond their imagination, and after the many disasters and misfortunes that have happened, they don't dare hope for better. Despite this somewhat nihilistic belief of the population, the sentries posted in the white forest report the army marching around in circles and going in any directions but the one heading towards their one major city. As the first week passes, Kagome is released from her prison in the castle and allowed to join among the ranks of the watching nobles. With careful attention, they observe the advance of the Daimyo's royal army… a backward and sometimes rounding on itself advance that is.

They watch with bated breaths when the general brings in the Uchiha specialist, and rejoice when he leaves in defeat. And when finally that once great army turns tail and runs, the whole country erupts in joy and celebration. Commoners and nobles alike join each other in the plaza where they make merry and drink to their new found freedom. The next morning when the people awake, they find their young princess ruler among them with hoes and farming supplies in hand.

"Alright, now that that entire affair is over, we have lots of work to do," she says while handing them the tools of their trade. "We have another harvest to catch up on, and we need to prepare for winter after that."

And after winter? Ask the people.

"After winter, spring," she replies. "We will plant a new season then, and start our lives anew."

 **24.** For a year and a half, Kagome's little country enjoys their peace in isolation. The fires of war rage outside as countries rise and fall, but inside this country, peace reigns. This one and a half year time is also when Kagome learns the ABCs of governing an entire country. She learns the laws of the land and the day to day management of her court. She has to get used to all the formalities (she actually gets rid of a lot of them since they are big time wasters), her new wardrobe (which she dumps in a chest, lock it and goes back to simple and comfortable cottons), her new living place (she sneaks back to her little house in the city all the time), and her new guards (they are nice to look at but Kagome rather think the few strapping young men left in the country have better things to do than follow her like lost puppies all day. The country needs to repopulate after all, and their labor force refilled. They should totally get to the business of loving, settling down and raising a family of their own).

In these 1.5 years, Kagome starts putting into motion many changes and policies that are seen by others as… incredibly unorthodox. She builds schools and universities and makes education free for all people of the country, children especially. In this era, schooling is expensive and something usually reserved for the rich and noble. Not so to Kagome, who sees education as an individual's right and the path to developing their country. She builds hospitals and makes public healthcare mostly free through long training programs for young medical professionals (same as what the late lord did to her). She builds roads and bridges and connect the rural part of the country with its one major city. She encourages children to speak out and adults to listen to them (instead of the outdated mentality of age equals knowledge and wisdom).

To the normal citizens, nobles and even the two ministers, Kagome's policies and direction to developing the country are... strange to say the least. In this era, what we take for granted in our time and world are considered cutting edge progressive by the common people. The normal rulers, daimyos and lords in Naruto verse in this era see international conquest as the only way to enrich a country and bring prosperity to their people. A 'take what you don't have' kind of mentality, the same mentality of the Sengoku Jidai, the medieval age, etc… But Kagome, having come from a much more modern time, thinks differently. She understands that it is possible to make a country great on limited resources. Her home country Japan is one such example. The country itself has limited resources but through centuries of development and investment in its people, it manages to become one of the biggest economy in the world, capable of turning out enormous productivity. Singapore is another example. Once just a swamp, this island nation chose to invest in its own people and turned its one worthless land into a place of technological progress and cutting edge business models. What Kagome is trying to do to her country is basically the same thing she saw the leaders of her own home country once did (the miraculous rise of post World War 2 Japan to the Japan in the 90s).

Knowing that if she allows the people to go about their business as usual, the country will wallow in lackluster economy (due to their much restricted trade with neighbor countries), she attempts to force an early industrial revolution on a mostly agricultural feudal nation (to increase their productivity, thus bringing new wealth to the people and nation). She understands that in order to create a strong nation, she must first create a strong people. With time and the support of her citizens, she probably will succeed. In this time and world, this kind of thinking is centuries ahead of the curve. But of course, actually putting that thinking into practice is much more difficult. True progress requires time and patience. After the incidence with the Daimyo and his army, Kagome may have the love and support of most of the people, but even for her, it will take a while for the fruits of all that hard work to appear.

Anyhow, at the end of this 1.5 year time is an event that both hampers and facilitates Kagome's plan for the country. Her court receives its first friendly foreign contact ever since they turn their back to the Daimyo: a letter from Shodaime Hokage Hashirama Senju of the newborn Village Hidden in the Leaves. He tells her that wars have ended and new nations populated entirely by shinobi have been born. Then he asks for permission to use her territory as neutral meeting ground for the first meeting between the Kage of the Five Great Shinobi Nations.

And this wraps up the first arc of this plot line. The second arc will feature Kagome and her country reentering the wider world and getting progressively more involved in international ninja politics.

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 **TBC….** Damn it! I thought this was going to be a two part thing only but it turns out there's going to be a part 3 (and perhaps a part 4 and 5) as well. Stop it, my imagination! I have a job! My boss editor is camping right in front of my door! I need to work! Stop!

Anyhow, next part, Kagome and her court meet the five Kage of these strange new shibobi nations. Eeehhh! I am so excited! Oh wait! I have a job to do. Stop, my imagination! Stop, I say! I need to pay bills!


	3. Clan War Era 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except for the plot and the world building and the small army of OC characters. Actually, now that I think about it, I own a lot. But… uh… not the stuff that can make money… if you get my drift.

This is a collection of AU ideas branching out from my other Inuyasha/Naruto crossover story 'From the Garden of Gods'. Some of the AUs I have promised: Kumo AU, Clan War Era AU, among a few. None of these are full-blown story. Most of them will be written as bare plot lines, drafts, or one-shots covering the premise, plot hooks, and specific events in the story lines. If I have the time, I will try to turn these AUs into full-blown stories, but as it is right now, I have too many story ideas and too little time. If anybody reading this wants to try their hands at turning them into full stories, be my guest. And don't forget to send me a notice when you do. I'd love to check out people's interpretation of the plot lines I sketch out. Most of these AUs probably won't be beta-ed either as my betas are largely busy these days and I really don't want to bother them too much. I know I can be a big bother to them when I get too excited with story ideas. If you want to help me out once in a while by proof reading and such, send me a text (warning: I bounce around stories worse than a bunny in a carrot farm. I also get easily distracted). If you want to discuss story ideas with me or just want to bounce ideas, don't feel shy either. And now, without further ado…

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 **Clan War Era AU – Part 3**

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 **25/** The second arc of the story begins with turmoil in Kagome's court. Hashirama's letter sends both ministers and the nobles into a flurry of activities and clashing opinions. For the last one and a half year, the entire country has gone into happy isolation. The exact location of Kagome's country (called the Land of Gems due to its previous number one export being the rare gem named Pearl of the Land) is within a belt of similarly sized countries and city states that serve as the buffering zone between the three big nations Fire, Earth, and Wind. In Naruto's time, this belt is comprised of the Land of Grass, Rain, Birds, and River. Some of those countries exist during the clan war era time line such as Grass, but some others don't. The Land of Gems is one of those tiny countries that would have been invaded, razed to the ground, and erased altogether from the annals of history without Kagome's presence altering canon events and timelines.

The status quo before Kagome severed the country's allegiance to the Earth Daimyo was that all of these smaller countries were the vassals of one of the big three. This vassalage is an uneven give and take relationship with the bigger empires taking more than they actually give but since they are more powerful, this is seen as the natural order of things by most people of that time era. In this relationship, vassal countries submit yearly tributes and taxes to their liege lords and during time of war have to send auxiliary troops to their liege lords. In return, the bigger empires refrain from outright invading and taking over control of their vassals and protect them from invasion attempts of other countries. This protection is not perfect however as the case of the previous lord's expansionist conquest and failures have proven though it does deter a lot of attempts from small and big nations who don't want to create legitimate reasons for a prolonged war with a mighty empire at the back of the small victim nation.

Because they are surrounded by either the vassals of Earth or the vassals of Wind and Fire, the moment they severed allegiance with the Land of Earth, Gems also closed off its border and ceased almost all communications to the outside world to protect itself from possible retaliations or opportunistic attacks from other nations. This state of isolation has the added benefit of Gems avoiding all the wars, chaos, and fighting among big and small countries around that time so even with trade with other nations plummeting to near zero, the nobility and common people actually have no problem with it. In fact, in the last 1.5 year, the country has achieved self-sufficiency and prospered. Because of all the advances and changes Kagome has brought to the country, they now no longer have to worry about a bad harvest leading to famine or uncontrollable plague. Because they no longer have to pay annual taxes and tributes to Earth, the finance of the court is also in much better shape and more money and resources can be poured into educating future generations and making the life of the people better.

For the most part, people are happy. Though they cannot freely venture outside the belt of sacred white forest, they now no longer need to fear bandit raids or invasion attacks from other countries. What they need they can already produce by themselves. In fact, they have been producing far more foods and products than they can consume. On the nobility part, even though they too can no longer freely visit other countries, they are instead shielded from advances of foreign nobles most of whom are richer and far more powerful than them. In this state of isolation, their status as noble has curiously been somewhat bolstered. On the whole, the country is in a state of contentment. Because of these reasons, Hashirama's letter is seen as an unwanted disruption by most of the nobility.

They are ninja, they say, and therefore can't be trusted. Ninja are honorless mercenaries. They are scums who dare take on clan names and pretend that they have some warped code of honor.

Ninja thrive on bloodshed and warfare, they say. That's how they make money. It is preposterous to think that ninja themselves may want to create peace. Surely the claim that the creation of all ninja villages leading to peace is a bold faced lie.

We don't need them or their dirty blood money, they say. We are fine on our own here. A year and a half ago, the world was burning in war, chaos, and sickness. But we have created a kingdom of peace and prosperity. We have cured diseases previously thought incurable and cleanse all that is impure from this nation. We don't want anything foreign in here now lest they bring with them the fires of war and violence.

 **26/** On the whole, neither of the ministers dispute the nobility's claims regarding ninja and how their country should not dally with them. The only good ninja, they reason, are either dead ninja or ninja under the banner of the Land of Gems. However, their loud objections, instead of discouraging Kagome, have almost the opposite effect. It engenders a curiosity about these mysterious warriors in her. This is not the first Kagome has heard of ninja since she came into this universe. Under the banner of the lord (or in Kagome's case, Lady) of the Land of Gems, there are a small clan of ninja who act as guardians to the Lord (or Lady). Actually, they are so small it's more fitting to call them a family rather than a clan. When the late Lord discovered Kagome's healing power, it was through these ninja that he helped her gradually learn to use and control her immense healing prowess (as well as other powers not related to healing but we will touch upon that topic at a later time).

Though these ninja are very good at protecting a single target, each of them having been trained for the task since birth, individually they are not particularly strong. On the power scale of Naruto ninja, they are only around Chuunin level if even that. Their skill repertoire mostly revolves around a few family ninjutsu (mostly body replacement techniques used when the protected target is attacked or taken from their protection) as well as skillful uses of ninja tools and genjutsu. In other words, they are very similar to the ordinary ninja of Kagome's home universe. So when the nobles tell her that these 'foreign ninja' are capable of miraculous feats and powerful ninjutsu that can change the very landscape itself, Kagome is understandably taken aback. This is the moment when she realizes she is almost completely ignorant of the immense depth and scope of ninja arts and that ninja arts are an entirely different classification of powers unique to this world.

Around this time, Kagome's plan to modernize the country is hitting a plateau where further development proves incredibly difficult for her. Her initial plan was to force an early agricultural revolution followed by an industrial revolution on this country. She has succeeded with the agricultural revolution somewhat by teaching the people the basic of hydroponic and aquaponic farming, thus leading to agriculture yield of the country tripling in size within a single harvest while needing only half of the labor force previously required.

For those of you who don't know a whole lot about hydroponic and aquaponic farming:

a/ Hydroponics is a method of growing plants using mineral rich water. Because there is no soil involved, this form of farming is incredibly efficient in terms of space and water resources. Hydroponics also requires far less labour than traditional farming. Furthermore, with good management and well-designed hydroponic system, hydroponic farming yields, on average, 10 times the amount of produce that traditional soil farming yields. With particular plants, this yield is an astounding 100 times compared to traditional soil farming. An example case is the Whittaker Corporation's Agri system division having accomplished this incredible feat of 100 times yield with the Bibb Lettuce in Somis, CA, USA.

Modern hydroponics was first developed in Japan in the 1980s by Professor Kei Mori (with the first international showing being the 'super tomato' of Tsukuba in 1985). Arable soil is Japan's number one problem leading to its agricultural industry being one of its weakest industries. Majority of Japanese land are mountains or salted lands unfit for traditional farming. In order to make the most of their natural resources, hydroponics (and later aquaponics) was developed and adopted in the place of traditional farming. It took Japan a decade to adopt hydroponics on a massive scale due to the sheer size of the country.

Considering majority of Japanese children receive fairly comprehensive education regarding food supply, sciences, and standards, knowledge of hydroponic is wholly within canon Kagome's ability (but of course, in canon she was never really given any chances to develop her personal skills unless it has something to do with either Inuyasha, Kikyo, or her status as love interest / damsel in distress girl). FtGoG AU Kagome also has extensive knowledge and experience on horticulture and biochemistry due to her training as a doctor, so actually bringing hydroponics into practice in the very small country of Gems is also wholly within her ability. Considering Gem's decimated young male labour population and food supply pressure after going into isolation, Kagome's government have all the incentive to quickly adopt hydroponics on a massive scale to ensure food security.

b/ Aquaponics: is an even more elevated form of modern farming than Hydroponics. Aquaponics is a farming practice that creates a closed system of combined hydroponic plantation and fish rearing aquaculture. Imagine a farm attached to a fish lake. The fish poop feeds the plants. Dead plant matters in turn feed the fishes. One closed system of highly efficient organic farming. Aquaponics has even higher yields than hydroponics once their bio circle is fully in place (at least 6 months for that to happen), higher productivity (because of the added fishes), and cheaper to maintain since they require no chemical mixes to serve as feeds for the plants. Both hydroponics and aquaponics are exemplary candidate for farming in space by NASA.

Now, whether canon Kagome has knowledge of Aquaponics is kinda tricky. Modern aquaponic was developed in the early 2000s and then brought into practical use in late 2000s. Even to this day, its adoption rate is still not much compared to traditional farming and hydroponics (which has been around for a few decades already). Still, the time frame is within Kagome's time (early to mid-2000s according to canon). Besides which, though modern Aquaponics has only been around for less than a decade, ancient forms of Aquaponics have been practiced in Asia for millennia via fishing farming in rice paddies so I don't think it's such a stretch for Kagome to start developing rudimentary forms of Aquaponics through her understanding of Hydroponics and the pressing need of the people.

 **27/** This agricultural revolution is Kagome's biggest achievement, followed closely behind her lifting national literacy rate from 20% to 95% and bringing general education to the people, within this 1.5 year. Due to the much higher yield and the far fewer resources required from Hydroponics and Aquaponics, the people can produce two to three times the amount of food supply required to feed the entire nation with only half of the required labour force. This means that the other half of the labour force is freed up to do other things such as building and developing the infrastructure of the country: roads, bridges, a form of public transportation, community buildings and projects, and more.

However, this is where Kagome's progress stalls. An agricultural revolution is absolutely required for an industrial revolution to happen since agriculture supplies the majority of resources required in industries. But for a true industrial revolutions to take place, other factors are needed as well, factors such as technical know-hows, an established infrastructure system such as power and lighting grid among many others, robust trade routes to process the amount of excess products created from a strong economy. Kagome may have successfully forced an early agricultural revolution, but her starting points are still very much below the absolute necessities to kick start a true industrial revolution. And she knows this.

When Kagome talks of her frustration over the many failed attempts to start an industrial revolutions to the two ministers (who comprehend only some of what she is talking about), what she receives is unnecessary consolation. To the ministers, what she has already accomplished is nothing short of a miraculous feat. Not only did she protect the country from a superior military force, she has now taught the people new forms of farming that ensures that they will never again have to fear bad harvests and famine (very, very difficult to have a famine on Hydroponics and Aquaponics system since they negate many uncontrollable variables such as failing soil conditions and many other diseases that traditional farming has to live with). The country has never before done this well without successfully invading another country and taking their riches. The people have more than they can eat. That excess also translates to other comforts of life. Even more than that, their people now have access to free healthcare and general education, both of which are usually luxuries reserved only for the financially well-off in this era.

To the standards of an agricultural country in this time era, this is so much more than they can ever hope for. They are not rich in the way that the people in the capital of Earth country are rich, but by the standards of concurrent time, they are very well-off as a people.

To Kagome however, this is still far below what she knows is possible. Kagome keeps comparing this world to her home where things are so much better. The knowledge that she can't as of yet bring this country even on the road towards that future is a source of frustration and worry for Kagome.

It is in this state that Hashirama's letter arrived. Unlike the nobility and the ministers, Kagome sees this letter and the proposal within as an opportunity for the Land of Gems. After having heard all the opinions from the nobles, the ministers, and her personal ninja guardians, Kagome starts a secret correspondence with this Hashirama Senju. Using a royal messenger hawke, she sends back a reply asking for more information. She wants to know what this Konohagakure is, what is the story behind it, what is this Kage Summit, what Hashirama wants to do with it, and how he thinks things should proceed were she to agree to his request and becomes host of the first Kage Summit.

 **28/** Also in secret, Kagome starts studying into this ninja sect. There are not a lot of texts in the Land of Gems regarding ninja, but there are a few myths and recorded instances of ninjas hired to perform special services to the country in times long past. It is through these handful of documents that Kagome learns of the usual ninja feats: controlling the elements, the deceiving art of genjutsu, blood abilities specific to clans, the art of puppetry (which reads very much like a fantasy version of robotics to the Japanese Kagome), sealing arts (which reads like the fantasy version of high technology to Kagome), and finally the mystical energy called chakra that supposedly all living beings possess but only ninja are trained in fully utilizing it. Once she learns of this, she becomes even more interested in these ninjas. Kagome believes their ninja arts are the missing key to her technological revolution.

A week goes by and Hashirama's response arrives, this time via hawke mail. He's ecstatic that the mythical ruler of the land of the White Forest even responds to his mail at all. He confesses that he wrote and sent that letter on a whim and never actually expected to get a reply from her. He then goes on to explain that Kagome's rejection letter to the Earth Daimyo has become the stuff of legends in the ninja world. Apparently, when the Daimyo found out his army was utterly defeated by the barrier of the White Forest, in fury; he contacted many great ninja clans and put a bounty on her head. Despite the wasted expenditure of an army sent, the Daimyo still wanted her punished. Apparently he had bragged about teaching a lesson to an errant vassal state before in a meeting of Daimyos and his failure of 'teaching said lesson' was a big loss of face for him which he felt utmost need to rectify lest his standing among the Daimyos decreases. The bounty he put on her head was an exorbitant amount and attracted many clans, and yet none of these clans, regardless of skills or methods succeeded in penetrating the barrier of the White Forest. Naturally, it didn't take long for the Kagome's country and its mystery of a forest to become a legendarily hot topic in the world of ninja, and from that point on, it was only a matter of time before somebody found a copy of her letter to the daimyo and spread among ninja curious of the story behind her and the Earth Daimyo's conflict.

That letter is basically one long rambling speech from Hashirama. Tobirama didn't find out in time to school his brother in writing proper letters to heads of states. But at the end of that letter, he does try to communicate across his wish for lasting peace between ninja clans and nations. He explains that because the ninja world was split into countless small clans each with agendas of their own, that small warmongering nations were capable of instigating petty wars and prolonging an international state of chaos by hiring entire clans to fight in their stead. Now that the ninja world is in the process of arranging itself into a new order, such wars are slowly coming to an end. Though that doesn't mean that wars between great nations won't happen. Now that the ninja have converged under banners of their own, Hashirama fears greater wars to come if they cannot manage the relationship and power balance between Hidden Villages. Hashirama then claims that his one true goal in orchestrating this Kage Summit is to create a stable balance between the big five newborn ninja nations and prevent total war from happening once more. He says that he has been negotiating with other villages in order to get them to come to this summit. However, he's lacking a truly neutral and secure location. Since the world is now all split up in factions, a truly neutral and yet still safe location is incredibly difficult to find. If Hashirama can't find any suitable place, then the first Kage Summit will have to be held in his home village Konoha. If Konoha becomes the location for the first summit which is supposed to be a fair meeting ground where no country is above the other, Hashirama worries that this clear home field advantage may hamper negotiations for peace between villages. Therefore, he fervently hopes that Kagome will lend a space in her country, which fits both criteria of neutrality and security, to be the location of the first Kage Summit.

 **29/** Kagome goes over Hashirama's letter many times and with extreme care. As she reads the letter, she sometimes become amused with his tendency to ramble on or to get distracted by stray bits of thoughts ("Hey, I actually went to the edge of your forest. This may be a bit presumptive of me, but my specialty is controlling woods and can't help but notice something different about the trees there. Are you the one behind the barrier around that place? Did you use those trees as anchors? Could it be that your power also revolves around manipulation of trees and plant matters? Like mine? Ah, forgive me, I've never met another person with power relating to trees like mine. The thought that someone else out there may have something similar to me makes me jump in joy. If my request is no good, then I still would like to meet the honored person behind this amazing forest barrier combination at least once in my life. The feelings I get from these trees are incredible. My brother, Tobirama, says he gets the creeps looking at it, but I think he's just jealous because he can't figure out how you do it. Oh yeah, that barrier work is totally genius! I brought my wife Mito over to your forest barrier. She hails from clan Uzumaki whose specialty is seal and barrier, and even she can't quite figure out how you do it either. We should totally meet up and have a tree and barrier people party. Oh… my apology…I get too excited… I never thought you would actually respond to my first letter. To be honest I was little drunk when I wrote it and you sounded so nice in that letter and… umm…. where was I again? Uh, right! Peace! Lasting peace between villages and nations. I think your place makes a great location. Yes! That's where we were).

At the end of it though, Kagome feels touched by Hashirama's genuine wish to create peace. He may or may not succeed, but here is a person who is honest about his intention to try. She has a good feeling about this person, and aside from the fact that she is quite sure this is a big opportunity for her country and her people, Kagome too feels like she wants to meet this person and finds out more about him.

 **30/** So Kagome goes about preparing to answer Hashirama's second letter. As she is writing her response a few days later, she is interrupted by her ministers. Standing in front of them in the privacy of Kagome's office, the ministers say.

"You are going to grant that ninja's request, aren't you?"

Surprised, Kagome asks if she has been so transparent. In response, the ministers say that she was a beloved daughter of their lifelong friend, the previous lord, of course both of them watch out for her and keep an eye on what she's up to behind the facade of the country ruler. Besides which, decisions like this were just like their unorthodox lady ruler.

They both caution her that granting entry to these ninja will cause a lot of complications to their small nation. She may have the people's love, but Kagome's reign over this country is young. She's only been ruler for nearly two years. Though most of the nobles accept her as their lady, there exists a current of enmity underneath this veneer of contentment. She may have brought peace and prosperity to this country, but along with it she has also brought great changes and those in power typically do not take well to changes not instigated by themselves. Also, her coronation to the throne of the Land of Gems means that some other noble clans missed out on the chance to become the new royal family of the nation. In this state of isolation, such enmity is not worth worrying about because there is no way for these people to enact on their ill will towards her. But if she grants entry to these ninja, the barrier she creates will have to be changed in some ways to allow these ninjas, who fit neither the criteria of existing citizens nor people who desperately need her help, to come through. In doing so, Kagome will have weakened her greatest line of defense and allow opportunities for these anti-crown faction to enact their own schemes.

After some careful consideration, Kagome tells the ministers that despite the danger to her own person, she still wishes to at least see this one Kage Summit through. She wants to meet these powerful men who have united warriors of distant lands under their rules and finds out more about these mysterious ninja arts. She wishes to use these ninja arts to the benefits of her people. Also, great opportunities aside, if by allowing the ninja to come into her country for the first time in her reign, she can draw out the people who feel unsatisfied with her rule and the general state of affairs in this country, then it is something she looks forward to. She then explains that this ill will, if not resolved adequately, will only multiply over time. Regardless of how some nobles may think of her, she is still their ruler and they are still her subjects. Kagome takes her duties as ruler very seriously. If her subjects disagree with the way she does things, then she prefers confrontation and dialogue over silence and avoidance. Sooner or later, this is something that she will have to deal with anyway. At least this way, she can approach the issue on her own terms and with her own preparations.

At Kagome's declaration, both ministers sigh out loud and say they should have known better than to think they can change the mind of their lady ruler. Despite her appearance, she is strong of will ('Stubborn little girl' says one minister. "Bone-headed wench," says the other. Kagome smiles. "But you love me this way right?" Her relationship with both ministers have improved over the years to the point that they can converse freely with neither formality nor pretense among themselves), and once she has set her mind on something, then even the gods themselves won't be able to sway her from her chosen path.

Having said their piece of mind, both ministers then tell Kagome that if she is adamant that they allow this Summit of Ninja to happen on their soil, then they have much to prepare. Kagome agrees and then asks both ministers to join her in drawing out the plan as host of the summit in a month's time.

 **31/** Three days later, Kagome declares her intention to grant Hashirama Senju's request and bear host to the first Kage Summit to her court. As expected, her announcement is met with many objections from various noble families. She listens to their objections. They are a retracts of what have already been said weeks ago. And then softly asks them if they were to step on a carriage and go on a journey across the country, then how many days it will take them to complete this journey.

"Perhaps three or four days, if the horses are swift and the carriage of good make," answers one noble with a perplexed voice.

Kagome then asks if the journey were not across the country, but around it, then how many day will it take? Again, the same noble answers.

No more than two weeks. Ours is not a big country after all.

"That's right," says Kagome. "Ours is not a big country. Rather than say that we have created a kingdom of peace and prosperity and ward out war and poverty, it is more fitting to say that we have shut ourselves in a cage so that we can avoid the fires of wars and chaos. Such cages are fine if one only intends to stay inside for a short while, but not so fine if one were to stay their whole life, and perhaps even the life of their children." Turning to address her court, Kagome then asks if the nobles standing in attendance would like for their children to never know how great the world outside is, how immense the scope, how majestic the sights. She asks if they want their children and their children's children to stay forever inside this small piece of land and to never step foot beyond the boundary of the white forest?

Her questions bring silence into the court.

She pushes on saying that this peace and prosperity is a hard won one and she understands their desire to enjoy it at least a little bit more. She says she is young, so her impression of wars and its cruelty is of course not as keen as theirs. However, she fears that if they were to become too contented with this state of peace, the world outside will keep on going and leave them behind. She explains that she has been sending scouts to neighboring countries and they have reported back that indeed wars have stopped. A state of grudging peace now exists between nations, and with the creation of the Hidden Villages, the kind of petty wars between small, warmongering nations that they are so used to in the past is unlikely to repeat. A world at peace is a world that will grow and develop. If they cannot keep up with this world, soon, this gilded cage won't be a comfortable place to live any more, but a prison they have made for themselves.

"But ninjas? Those scums?" Some nobles protest. Despite the existence of the guardian ninja family, there exists a heavy bias against ninja in Kagome's country. If the historical records are right, then this bias is actually quite deserved too. Ninjas were the tools of many warlike nations in the past. In recent memory, the late prince died to an enemy ninja, died with half his body crushed by a Doton technique. Such bias is difficult to erase with just a few words. So Kagome merely says.

"I understand your reservations. However, think about it this way. In so far, no ninja has been able to breach the barrier I have cast over this country. However, that was back when they existed only in clans. Now that they have created their own villages, their own society, their knowledge and skill will undoubtedly grow. It may not happen quickly, but sooner or later, there maybe a ninja who will figure out a way to breach or even to bypass my protection altogether. And where will we be then?"

After that fiasco under the Earth Daimyo's reign, the Land of Gems no longer has a standing army. Though they do have a defense force, such force is equipped only to keep civil order, not to fight off seasoned enemy ninjas. With this statement, Kagome knows she has struck a chord with the nobles. Her barrier now is the only line of defense of this country. The thought that this impenetrable defense that has turned away even the Earth Daimyo's mighty army and a specialist of the legendary Uchiha clan may one day be rendered obsolete by the ninja the nobles so despise is a sobering thought for many.

Kagome then goes on to confess that the technique she uses to create the barrier is actually… an incomplete one. Her statement is a big surprise for many of the nobles because Kagome almost never talks about her power that fuels the protective barrier. She explains that this is the first time that she attempted to create a barrier of such scope. As a result, the barrier that has been protecting their country is actually an underdeveloped barrier with many limitations. Certainly it is good at stopping an entire army, but against a small team of skilled intruders, it may not fare nearly as well. Kagome says that though she wants to work on these limitations and improve the barrier, she has no way with which to do so because she doesn't know what the other side can do. And isn't this a chance to find out what the other side can do? Sooner or later, they will have to deal with possible breaches caused by ninja, then isn't it better that they do it now when they can meet the ninja as the host of their Summit and on their own terms?

She gives the nobles some time to think things over, and then ends the session by declaring.

"We have had a good one and a half year of peace and prosperity in isolation. However, we cannot hide from the world forever. One day, we will have to let down our barrier and live once more with the rest of the people on this earth. What we can do, however, is meet the world now, but on our own terms and on our own turf. I say we open wide our doors to these first representatives and see what they have to offer."

* * *

 **End Part 3**

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Well, once I thought this plot line AU will have only a handful of sweet and short parts, but after a week of my imagination going haywire while I crank out magazine articles on strict deadlines, it has ballooned into an epic sage with three defined arcs…. And I have created the entire plot line (bare bone compared to a full-fledged story but all the plots and branches are in place) for all three of these arcs.

+weeps+ I am my own worst enemy sometimes.

Anyhow, here is part 3. I originally was going to keep it longer but while writing this I noticed that I was fast approaching the 6k word mark and wanting to keep all the parts short and concise, I decided to stop there. For readers who want to see Kagome meeting the Kage, not to worry, we will get there in the next part. I just finished a celeb bio book for a client and am in the down time between monthly magazine issues. I have about a week of free time to burn so expect the next part in 1-2 days or so. I'll try to get as many parts and chapters for the stories out as I can before my work beckons again. I probably won't be able to give you guys this kind of treat again in the foreseeable future since I'm in the process of signing the next celeb bio book. Those books are a just a lot of work, man. Well, at least they pay well.

Anyhow, happy April's Fool day. In the spirit of this day, I hereby announce that this story will end in a threesome for its romance section.


	4. Clan War Era 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except for the plot and the world building and the small army of OC characters. Actually, now that I think about it, I own a lot. But… uh… not the stuff that can make money… if you get my drift.

This is a collection of AU ideas branching out from my other Inuyasha/Naruto crossover story 'From the Garden of Gods'. Some of the AUs I have promised: Kumo AU, Clan War Era AU, among a few. None of these are full-blown story. Most of them will be written as bare plot lines, drafts, or one-shots covering the premise, plot hooks, and specific events in the story lines. If I have the time, I will try to turn these AUs into full-blown stories, but as it is right now, I have too many story ideas and too little time. If anybody reading this wants to try their hands at turning them into full stories, be my guest. And don't forget to send me a notice when you do. I'd love to check out people's interpretation of the plot lines I sketch out. Most of these AUs probably won't be beta-ed either as my betas are largely busy these days and I really don't want to bother them too much. I know I can be a big bother to them when I get too excited with story ideas. If you want to help me out once in a while by proof reading and such, send me a text (warning: I bounce around stories worse than a bunny in a carrot farm. I also get easily distracted). If you want to discuss story ideas with me or just want to bounce ideas, don't feel shy either. And now, without further ado…

* * *

 **Clan War Era AU Part 4**

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 **32/** From that one meeting, it doesn't take long for Kagome to get the majority of the nobles to agree with her course of actions regarding Hashirama Senju's proposal. But that they agree with her does not mean that they like the fact that ninja will be coming into their home country and have themselves a meeting. The way the nobles of Gems country see it, this is a necessary evil, a means to gauge the situation outside and see how their country should go forward. Either way, regardless of whether the nobility of the country like it or not, Kagome is adamant to meet these ninja herself and find out whether they truly are the key to greater progress she is looking for.

She sends a reply to the first Hokage and along with this reply, the keys to bypass the barrier of the Land of Gems. Five keys for five Kage and their retinue. It doesn't take long for Kagome's reply to create a stir on the other side of the world. Hashirama is ecstatic of course. Never did he imagine that the near mythical leader of Gems country, whose face, name, power, and origin are secrets to most people, would actually accept the proposal he made on a whim. His brother, Tobirama, is far less excited. This situation seems too good to be true. Not only is Gems known for its neutrality; what with that infamous letter penned by its current head of state, the so called witch queen of the white forest, declaring to the Earth Daimyo its intention to stay out of the senseless wars and conflict Earth had dragged it into despite its wishes; its border under the rule of this new… lady princess… has never before been breached, not by any armies or ninjas of great skills. To secure Gems as the location for the first Kage Summit is an achievement of itself. With this location, true neutrality among all villages will be secured. Because of Gem's famously unbreachable border, the Kage also won't have to be concerned about possible security breaches or assassination or sabotage attempts by other parties. This couldn't be better for the organizing party aka Konohagakure who have spent much time and resources in persuading the other Kage to attend this summit. With luck, they may be able to get the other Kage to stay around for another day or two to go over the topic of their contentious borders and overlapping territories.

But… what about the side of Gems? How does Gems profit from this? For what reason does the leader of Gems acquiesce to Hashirama's request? When he found out just what his brother had done while he wasn't around to keep an eye on the doofus, Tobirama had immediately wrested a copy of Hashirama's letters to the mysterious leader of Gems from the other's hands. The content of those letters… Rather than say that Hashirama makes a bad case for himself, it's more fitting to say that Tobirama's elder brother has absolutely no talent for dealing with world royalties at all. Not only is the tone of those letters completely unfit for diplomatic correspondence with a head of state, Hashirama has actually called the woman by her given name (a piece of information the Senju clan has paid a hefty amount to get from people rumored to be her patients in the past). Royal names aren't treated in the same way that commoner names are treated. Usually one can only refer to and address a royal person with their official title. For a person not of the same rank, i.e. not a fellow world royals or head of states, using a ruler's given name without being given express permission can be taken as a grave insult. Furthermore, when the royal person in question is an unmarried woman, then the matter takes on another completely inappropriate layer. Traditionally the names of princesses are not released to the public until at the very least after they are married. For the name of an unmarried princess to be released to the common people is considered an act of sullying the royal name and the princess's maidenly virtues. This is probably the original reason as to why the name of the current ruler of Gems is not a widespread knowledge despite the purported number of her patients in both the civilian and ninja sections. Likely it was the previous lord who ordered her name to be given utmost sanctity when he adopted her. In some countries, unlawfully obtaining the name of unmarried princesses or other female members of the royal line is an offense punishable by death… and Hashirama has as good as confessed to the fucking ruler of Gems that clan Senju has done exactly that!

For all intents and purposes, Tobirama fully expected for Hashirama's letters to be ripped to shreds and burned to a crisp by the insulted party, not replied in a polite but exceedingly genial tone. He certainly was not expecting for Hashirama's proposal to be accepted without so much fuss either. For such an incredulous proposal carried by similarly incredulous letters penned by his dumbass of a brother to be accepted without so much as a word of warning for the flippant tone, Tobirama can't help but think that Gems has some sort of ulterior motive in accepting the request. It cannot be the money. Though Hashirama has offered to foot the bill for hosting the Summit at Gems, the amount he can actually pay is not that much. It's not a small amount going by the standards of common people, but when the other party is the leader of an entire country and the consequences of granting Hashirama's request may include the weakening of the country's national security or national secrets being leaked to outsiders, then it is another matter entirely. So… if it's not the money, then what is it that Gems wants out of this? Tobirama is well aware of the less than good reputation the majority of ninja have in this era. Gems under the reign of the previous leader was not a particularly ninja friendly place. So, with all things considered, what is it that Gems wants so badly that it would actually open up its unbreachable barrier to what amounts to a small but highly portent foreign militaristic force? As per Hashirama's plan, this Summit will consist of only ten people: the five Kage and a single bodyguard slash advisor each. Ten people is not a big force. However, considering the fact that the Kage of each nation is also its most powerful fighter, this diminutive force of only ten people can, arguably, bring a small country to its knees. Gems must know that given their recent history with ninjas. So then… why accept? Why even consider letting them through its greatest and quite possibly only line of defense at all?

Tobirama hasn't a clue. And because he hasn't a clue, this entire affair feels like a sour taste in his mouth. This… whatever this is simply isn't right. But it's not like he can do much about it. Hashirama has already express mailed the 'keys' to the other Kages along with a written explanation and guideline for how they should proceed. They have no other choice but to go with Hashirama's impulsive plan now. At least, Tobirama's worry is offset somewhat by the fact that Gems had no standing military force when it closed its border nearly two years ago. Within such a short amount of time and with no established ninja power of significant note within their territory, he doesn't think Gems can build up a militaristic force that will pose a credible threat to all five Kage. There's that at least. And so, with much trepidation and expecting the worst to happen, Tobirama follows his brother (who is bouncing all over the place with glee because the incredible plan he thought up on a whim is actually now a success and he's going to meet the person behind the legendary White Forest barrier!) on a journey into the most mysterious country in recent history.

 **33/** All over the ninja world, as the other Hidden Villages receive their keys and letters from Hashirama, the Kages and their aids are coming to conclusions quite similar to Tobirama. The Land of Gems is a kingdom shrouded in mystery. In just one and a half year, the formless barrier that protects its sovereignty has gained near mythical status in the world of ninja and even to common civilians. Not only is the strange energy fueling it incredibly portent as testified by many chakra sensors, it has stumped not one, not two, not three, but nearly all the greatest clans of the ninja world. The Uchiha Mangekyo Sharingan is the first to bow before it, but not the last. The humongous bounty the Earth Daimyo set attracted many clans to it. And yet none of them could breach the barrier or even make heads or tails out of how it functions to begin with. The Senju is the second great clan to admit defeat before the white forest barrier, and after them came the Uzumaki, masters of seals and barriers, and then the Hyuuga with their Byakugan (which are as good as the eyes of the blind before the power of the white forest), the Aburame with their insects, the Kamizuru with their bee scouts, and many more clans. Ninja clans gather and test their skill against the might of the white forest barrier at first because of the bounty, and then later on because they want to accomplish something that no other clans has been able to before.

And yet despite the insurmountable barrier, word is that for those who need the healer's help, for those truly desperate for healing and succor, the forest lays open and a light from the heart of Gems illuminate the way. Many a ninja has tried to fake injuries in order to gain entry into the Land of Gems this way, but so far, none has succeeded. Many has theorized that it takes a truly fatal injury for the door of Gems to open in this manner, but none dares try and test this theory. Truly the barrier of Gems is a mystery that has riveted the attention of all the foremost ninjutsu and sealing researchers in the ninja world.

Even before the appearance of the white forest that encircles and protects its land, the name of the Land of Gems had already made rounds within the world of ninja due to the unparalleled skill and the seeming lack of discerning over patient's origins and allegiance of its healer.

And now, they are to come into this mysterious Kingdom to attend the first Kage Summit which was supposed to be hosted in Konoha before the arrival of Hashirama's letters and keys. This is, without a doubt, an event for historical records. The Kages react to this new development in various ways. Some are cautious like Tobirama. Some are more curious. In a way, a Kage Summit in the Land of Gems as opposed to Konoha offers its unique challenges and possible dangers. Certainly to go into the territory of another great village for a Summit has its dangers, but at least those are known dangers. The Kages know almost nothing about the current Land of Gems and unknown dangers have a quality all their own. Of course, on the other side of dangers are opportunities. Before closing its door, Gems was just a typical city state with less than average resources and military prowess. However the chance to study the working of such a powerful and seemingly infallible barrier alone is already something worth looking into.

There are discussions between the Kages and their closest advisors on what this location means. Does it mean that Konoha has created a line of communication with the mysterious Land of Gems and come into some sort of mutual agreement? Or perhaps the leaders of Gems see something they want among the shinobi?

In the end though, these questions mean little. None of the Kage will rescind their decision to attend the Kage Summit simply because the location has changed from Konohagakure to the Land of Gems.

Within three weeks time and one by one, the Kages depart from their home village and, accompanied by a single bodyguard each, head for Kagome's country.

 **34/** It doesn't take long for the Kages to make the journey from their home countries to the white forest border. Gems is located in the buffer zone between Fire, Wind, and Earth, and is fairly easy to get to, though each Kage team arrives from a different direction (Tsuchikage from the North, Kazekage from the West, Hokage and Mizukage from the East, and Raikage from the Northeast) and to different points of entrance.

There is much anticipation from all the Kage and their tagalong bodyguard/advisor as to how they are going to pass through Gem's famously infallible line of defense. This anticipation is heightened by the 'keys' that were sent to them from the ruler of Gems and most probably the creator of said country's barrier. The keys are acorns that come from Kagome's garden, the very same type she used to create the white forest.

Of course the other Kages don't know that and at first thought it was a jest by Hashirama who, despite being the leader of clan Senju and founder of the Hidden Village system, has a reputation for goofing around at inopportune moment. Hashirama's letters to them serve to explain that these acorns were sent to him by the ruler of Gems as the keys that will allow them to pass through the barrier unhindered. The ninja have always suspected that the trees of the forest serve as some sort of anchor points to the barrier of course but they are not entirely sure. Kagome's barrier is completely formless (as opposed to the clear translucent barriers that are the norm in the shinobi world) and seemingly fuelled by a strange energy not chakra (though Tobirama and Hashirama know that this energy is something very similar to nature energy used in Sage arts due to both of them being canonically trained in Senjutsu). This makes it incredibly difficult to closely examine her barrier and find out its weak points. The keys to the forest barrier is confirmation that the trees serve as the anchors. The Kages (and many ninjutsu and sealing researchers in their respective villages) hope to witness the working of the barrier themselves when they pass through the barrier and observe the keys interacting with it.

This hope is more or less foiled. They walk into the forest, expecting… something. Lightworks perhaps or some sort of invisible seal array becoming visible once more. But no such thing happens. Holding the acorns in their hands, they walk into the grove of trees as they did many times before in a bid to breach the barrier. They walk for maybe two to three hours, their minds full of expectation, their hearts of anticipation, and their eyes half-glued to the completely ordinary looking acorns in their hands. This is the forest where an entire army was stopped and turned back. This is the forest in which countless shinobi have lost their ways for weeks on end in their bid to accomplish an impossible feat. This is the forest where the mysterious light only seen by those in need of the healer's help is said to be in. This is the forest beyond which lies the Land of Gems, a kingdom shrouded in mystery ever since its withdrawal from the world nearly two years ago. And then suddenly and with no warning whatsoever the lines of trees stop, the forest ceases and makes way for fields of grasslands. Without realizing it, they have passed through the unbreachable barrier of Gems and there before them stand the welcoming parties from their host country. Despite their hopes and expectations, they haven't got even a glimpse of the workings of the barrier. The White Forest remains a great mystery to the ninja world… at least for now.

 **35/** The Kages and their aides are escorted to the city at the center of Gems and then to the castle. The journeys don't take long with the speed with which ninja travel. The Hokage, Kazekage and Tsuchikage teams are the first to arrive (in the morning) since their nations lie the closest to Gems. The Mizukage and Raikage teams arrive later around mid-day. As they make their ways through the main streets of Gems city, they observe the city and the ordinary Gems citizens going about their daily life.

Their first impression is that Gems is absolutely nothing like how they imagine it to be. The past Gems is not a rich country. Isolation tends not to be good to national economy due to the lack of trade. Furthermore, the last thing to happen to Gems before they closed their border was the absolute massacre of all the soldiers they sent to the Earth Daimyo which meant a major blow to their labour force. To add to that, a drought has been going on ever since a year ago which has led to a great international famine (this famine was also one reason contributing to the cessation of wars as all sides were bleeding resources and manpower freely and facing food riots and widespread starvation caused by the famine. Wars and famines have always gone hand to hand in the history of mankind, but this one is an especially bad one that have caused the deaths of hundred thousands of peasants in all nations whether they have actively participated in wars or not). All things considered, the Kages expect the current state of Gems to be similar to how the majority of small and large countries are right now: neck deep in poverty caused by famine and lack of trade though perhaps with better health due to their leader being a renown healer.

In truth, majority of the Kages (as well as Tobirama) thought this might be the reason why the leader of Gems accepted Hashirama Senju's proposal. They thought that Gems, after having been made even poorer due to their isolation, was now seeking trade with the outside world through this Kage Summit (they are not entirely wrong actually but they don't know that for now). What they see as they pass through the streets of the one city in Gems is more than enough proof that this couldn't be further from the truth.

In stark contrast with the old Gems (which is a small and somewhat run-down place due to their trade having decreased significantly ever since their Pearl of the Land mines dried up), the new Gems is so obviously a growing city. Wherever the Kages look, they see new buildings and new businesses in the middle of construction, and old ones reinforced and made new again. Instead of parched lands and abandoned farms, they see green fields verdant with new harvests. Whereas they have expected a desperate people made thin and haggard due to famine and poverty, they instead see plump, happy folks strolling the streets seemingly without a care in the world. And most shocking of all, in an era where most countries have no qualms with throwing children no older than six or seven into battle, here in the shining city of Gems, the Kage see children, some as young as toddlers and some as old as teenagers that should already be working their fingers to the bones to support their family, unscarred by wars, running with packs on their backs and books on their hands, laughing and talking excitedly about some 'school' they are going to.

School… as if they have the privilege of highborn children, as if they can afford not to think about earning money to keep their families going since as early as eight or nine years old.

To the Kages and their aides, it seems as if they have stepped foot into some alternate universe when they pass through the barrier. Each Kages and their aides react differently to this of course, some with suspicion, some with wariness, some with shock and amazement (with one or two discreetly going 'Kai' to dispel the illusion they think is there, only to sheepishly pretend they did nothing of the sort when they realize there is no such illusion). Out of them all, Hashirama Senju is having the time of his life. Whereas the other Kages (and Tobirama) are still on their guard and hiding their uneasiness at this surreal scene that goes completely contrary to their expectations, Hashirama immediately pelts the escorts with questions.

What school are those children talking about? He asks. You seem to be having such a good time. Are this year's harvest that good? How are your trades doing? Why aren't those teenagers at work? Are those children the offsprings of nobles? They don't look like noble kids.

For the most part, the escorts humor him with sparse answers.

No, those children are common children. The children of Gems, regardless of their stations or origins, all have the right to education. Hime-sama decreed so and so it shall be. They are talking about the single public school of Gems. There are a few smaller classrooms in some far-off areas that hime-sama is planning to develop into full-fledged public schools but for now, we have only one public school open to all Gems citizens seeking education. The latest harvest is enough to feed us for three years. We are looking to converting some food farms into farms for growing industrial supplies. Rubbers and such. Our trade is doing good though hime-sama says it can do better. Those teenagers can go to work if they want to, but hime-sama says education is important and if they can, they should first finish the general education and hone their potentials, then they can look forward to contributing to the country's development.

The more the escorts answer, the more the Kage's shock and amazement grows. Hashirama is just having a great time. Seeing Gems country is like seeing a vision of his dream made real. He has fought all his life for peace and for a future where children do not have to bloody their hands in adult wars. He has been called a fool and a madman many times because he dares reach for such impossible dreams in this era of chaos and violence. Seeing Gems is like being given the definitive proof that his dream is entirely possible. This vision of a peaceful and prosperous Gems existing in isolation while the rest of the world are in ruins after years of long wars and bloodshed is the single most powerful validation of Hashirama's dream of peace. More than ever, he wants to meet this Hime-sama, this Kagome Higurashi, that is behind all of this.

Tobirama, on the other hand, thinks this is all bullshit. This all seems too good to be true, and if it seems too good to be true, then it probably isn't true. Tobirama suspects this vision of a prosperous nation despite their isolation from the rest of the world (which is in the middle of sweeping famine and poverty created by years of widespread wars and plagues), is a front created by the upper echelons of Gems. He expects some sort of dark secret behind this shining exterior. Too bad for Tobirama, he's in the wrong this time around though it's going to take sometime until he admits that to himself.

 **36/** When the Kages come upon the castle, they are greeted by the Ministers of the Right and the Minister of the Left. Then they are taken to their accommodations for the Summit. These accommodations are in different wings of the castle and each has its own barrier keyed to them specifically. This is to ensure their safety and security (as well as potential foul play between villages) during the Summit which will last for five days as per the agreement between the Hokage and the other Kages as well as between the Hokage and the ruler of Gems. The barriers protecting the Kage accommodations are far more similar to Naruto verse barrier than the white forest barrier, in that they have actual physical form (translucent barrier) and a much more obvious energy pulse.

The Summit will start a little later in the afternoon so for now, the ministers suggest they rest up and wait for the other Kages to arrive. If they wish, they will be provided with refreshments and other comforts to their specifications. Of course, the Kages being paranoid geezers decline this offer and say that they have brought their own provisions (they fear being poisoned. Hah! Just wait Kages, Kagome is not going to let you leave her country without sampling some local cuisine first). Of course, the exception to this is Hashirama who goes ahead and samples some Gems wine despite Tobirama's protest. Hashirama is basically a kid in Disneyland right about now.

They don't have to wait for long at all. Before they know it, it is 4 in the afternoon, time for the first day of the Summit. They are escorted from their accommodations by the castle soldiers and then led to an assembly hall where the Summit is to be held. The hall is mostly empty with the exception of a few guards. As per the agreement, no Gems nobles are allowed in to ensure security and discretion for the discussions between Kages. In the middle of this hall is a great round table with six seats around it. In one of these seats and flanked on both side by the Minister of the Right and the Minister of the Left is a young woman, the Hime-sama of the Land of Gems, the great healer, the so-called witch queen of the white forest, shame and bane of Earth Daimyo, and architect of this surreal kingdom, Kagome Higurashi.

* * *

 **End Part 4**

* * *

1\. This part should have been finished a day or two earlier. The reason for this lateness is here:

asksythe . tumblr post / 142243366925 / my-new-kitty-hes-the-reason-why-ftgog-au-part-4

2\. I initially wanted to write past that cliff-hanger above but then kitty woke up and demanded play time… so… I thought I should wrap this up now when I can and then continue later on when kitty is exhausted and goes back to sleep. The next part is rather lengthy anyway and I don't want to rush it too much so this is as good a stopping place as any. Next part, we are going to see the first Kage Summit and Kagome's part in it, the Kage reactions to her, the first attempt against her life by the disgruntled nobles, the revelation of her unparalleled healing ability, and the Kages being forced into enjoying some Gems street foods and basically having a day out where Kagome leads them around the city and shows them her people.

And then politics and trade talk and power plays until finally Hashirama decides he just finds a new best bud in Kagome (with Tobirama protesting in the background. Poor Tobirama, you are in for a rough patch, at least until we get to the part where your overly paranoid and highly OCD personality can shine)

3\. In about 2-3 chapters, we are going to have the outline for the romance section for Clan War Era AU. Here is where things are going to get either really interesting or really strange for you. A reviewer has expressed interest as to how I'm going to handle the romance part while in this plotline format. Well, this format has many strong points. It is really good for plotting and checking the strength of your storyline. What it's not good at however, is detail-driven and nuanced stuff such as in-depth characterization (plot line format only allows for general direction of characterization. It's not going to show living, breathing, three-dimensional characters because such characters require a lot of details and nuances to create, stuff that the plot line format glosses over in favor of quick plot advancement) and… romance… A large part of romance is dependent on characterization and dynamic between characters. In this format, it's almost impossible to check whether there's chemistry between two specific characters. Sure I can plan how things can develop based on how I interpret their characters can interact but it's a framework kind of a deal, not a fleshed out and organic thing. Even when you have a framework, sometimes there's just no chemistry or the romance comes at the cost of characterization for the characters in question. I don't want to force romance at the detriment of characterization or plot advancement. I also don't want to force romance when it doesn't feel like there's chemistry between characters. So… I'm just going to cover my bases and make plans for multiple possible romance routes. That way, however things go, I will have something in preparation. That said though, if I ever write the full-fledged version of this plot line, and I find that there's no chemistry or it doesn't feel right for the characters, then I may scrap the romance altogether.

So far, I have prepared four different possible romance routes: a humorous gender subversive route (this is the route with the most fun), a route where Kagome's ideology is challenged and its failings explored (this is the most ideologically complex route and the route in which Kagome's character is explored the most), a forbidden romance doomed from the start route (this is the most adult-feeling and most emotionally complex route of all), and a body guard crush route (this is the route for those who want to torture their love interest). Each of those routes will have sub-branches as to how they may advance and turn out, and each will have their own end games.

My tumblr followers should already have an idea on who two of those romance routes are. However, the other two routes are still kept within my mind. Can you guess who they are? You are going to find out soon anyway but it's fun to guess right?

See you guys in… hopefully a few days. Now I have to go play with my kitty. Tah!


	5. Clan War Era 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except for the plot and the world building and the small army of OC characters. Actually, now that I think about it, I own a lot. But… uh… not the stuff that can make money… if you get my drift.

This is a collection of AU ideas branching out from my other Inuyasha/Naruto crossover story 'From the Garden of Gods'. Some of the AUs I have promised: Kumo AU, Clan War Era AU, among a few. None of these are full-blown story. Most of them will be written as bare plot lines, drafts, or one-shots covering the premise, plot hooks, and specific events in the story lines. If I have the time, I will try to turn these AUs into full-blown stories, but as it is right now, I have too many story ideas and too little time. If anybody reading this wants to try their hands at turning them into full stories, be my guest. And don't forget to send me a notice when you do. I'd love to check out people's interpretation of the plot lines I sketch out. Most of these AUs probably won't be beta-ed either as my betas are largely busy these days and I really don't want to bother them too much. I know I can be a big bother to them when I get too excited with story ideas. If you want to help me out once in a while by proof reading and such, send me a text (warning: I bounce around stories worse than a bunny in a carrot farm. I also get easily distracted). If you want to discuss story ideas with me or just want to bounce ideas, don't feel shy either. And now, without further ado…

* * *

 **Clan War Era AU – Part 5**

* * *

 **37/** This is the moment that both sides have been anticipating. Just as the shinobi are looking forward to meeting the mastermind behind Gem's stunning transformation from a backwater country slightly on the poor side to a not-quite-Big-5-level-rich yet but very obviously prosperous nation, Kagome too is looking forward to finally meeting these mythical warriors who can bend the forces of nature to their whims.

This moment turns out to be quite exciting for one side… and overwhelmingly disappointing for the other. The five Kages and their aides enter at almost the same time and from two different gateways. From her seat, Kagome can see them the moment they step foot into the chamber and vice versa. It doesn't take long for both sides to asset the other. With a glance, Kagome's attention is already riveted to the men before her. She has known of ninja before and though she was not aware of it before, had felt the spark of chakra in many of her ninja patients. However, the ninjas that came to her didn't come while in their top form. They came to her weakened and battered, sometimes near death. They came when the light of their chakra was but a shivering flicker in the wind. That is the reason why Kagome has never quite noticed chakra as something separate from a person's soul and life force. With the Kages and their aides however, there is no way she can mistake their blinding light with normal people's souls and life force. If the light of a normal civilian is like that of a steadily burning candle, then the light that shines from within these men, these Kages and their second-in-commands from the Five Great Hidden Villages, are like forest fires. Each of these lights shines a different way, in different hues. They are so obviously people from vastly different lands and races. To Kagome who has never once set foot outside of Gems since she first arrived in this world years ago, this is all very exciting and eye-opening. This is the first time ever that she sees for herself the diversity of people in this world. Gems citizens on the whole look like a curious mix of Eurasian races with the majority of people having a blend of Asian features coupled with light-colored hair and eyes (similar to Earth characters shown in canon). The men standing before her, on the other hand, look vastly different from each other. Some look Asian, with dark hair and eyes, just like her. Some look Middle-Eastern with a slight Oriental trace to their features. Some look African with dark skin and towering heights (1st Raikage is 2.1 meter aka 6 feet 9. Compared to Kagome's 1.57 meter aka 5 feet 2, he's a certified beanpole to her). There is even one who looks tiny even to Kagome (first Tsuchikage is 1.45 meter / 4"75)!

Since this is the first time for Kagome, she can't help but let excitement and wonder show openly on her face. This is the first time she sees proof that this world is so much bigger than she imagines and now that she has walked past the apathy and grief of her first few years in this new land, there is space in her heart for excitement and curiosity about her new home.

On the Kage's side on the other hand, the mythical leader of Gems who they have all in one way or another look forward to seeing for the first time turns out to be… almost a complete let-down. In some way, the infallible barrier and the prosperous state of Gems even in complete and total isolation has subconsciously built up an image of a very strong country leader in their mind. Weak or incompetent leaders certainly are not capable of engendering such successes as they have seen. Around this time, countless myths about the witch queen and healer of the white forest have sprung up in the neighboring countries. Ninja, though they are not wont to be taken in by tall tales, know for a fact that whoever created the white forest barrier must at the very least have a massive reservoir of energy as well as profound knowledge of barriers and sealing to be able to create such a massively intricate and powerful barrier—the likes of which has never before seen in the recorded history of the ninja world. And that's not to mention the unparalleled healing skill and lack of bias against ninja in general. Speculations on the princess of Gems are numerous in the hidden villages, even more so when rumors leaked that the first Kage Summit would be held in the capital of Gems. Before coming here, the Kages and their seconds have all mentally prepared themselves. Such a person is probably nothing at all like they imagine, they think, because her power is already something that they have never before witnessed and her actions in the past beyond their usual reasoning. And yet, for all their preparation, they still never imagine that the princess of Gems in actuality….

… is this young and, in the face of ten grizzled war veterans, seemingly as fragile as her national gemstone woman. No, she is not even a full adult woman, rather a girl on the cusp of becoming a woman (Kagome is around 22 years old right now but Asian women tend to look years younger than their natural age so yeah). She is small and soft and timid looking and and while physical appearance is no indicator of power (especially in a world where the inhabitants regularly employ illusions and mind tricks on each other), there is not even a whiff of chakra from her. Among the ten, four are master sensors and the other six, while not born sensors, are no slouches at gauging the power of whoever stands in front of them. And yet for all their staring and probing, they cannot detect even a hint of chakra coming from the princess of Gems and purported creator of the white forest barrier. For all intents and purposes, the near legendary barrier master they have been looking forward to meeting… is actually this wisp of a girl with not even a hint of chakra to her. For all intents and purposes, she seems as frail and harmless as your typical noble-born maidens.

And what's more… this expression of childish wonder on her face… surely such openly honest expressions are reserved for children who have not seen much of the world only? To show her emotions so openly and honestly, what kind of political leaders does that? Surely not the kind that can survive the ruthless intrigues of royal courts?

For several minutes, awkward staring ensues from both sides. While Kagome is thinking "What a lightshow! This is the first time I've never seen so many diverse people since coming here. This is amazing! Best decision ever!", the Kages and their seconds are thinking "This can't be all of it… can it? The mighty witch queen of Gems whose power is enough to turn away the Earth Daimyo's army cannot actually be a mere civilian girl, can she?"

She doesn't seem to have the confidence and overbearing presence that almost always accompanies charismatic rulers of the time (typically warlords or emperors considering the time era. Our Kagome is a staunch pacifist who does not believe in that self-important way of leading). How can such a person be behind the transformation of Gems and its unthinkable defiance against an empire so much bigger and more powerful than it? Even Hashirama is somewhat taken aback by how young Kagome is. Out of all the people in the room, she is by far the youngest.

 **38/** It is Kagome who breaks this fleeting stare-off by standing up and enthusiastically greeting the ninja. "Welcome to the Land of Gems," she says, barely reining in her excitement. "I hope you had smooth journeys. It's been so long since we have had the opportunity to entertain guests here in Gems. Oh, I've been looking forwards to meeting you all!"

Hashirama is the one who responds to Kagome's greetings, being the one who initiated contact with her and the representative of the village who created the hosting agreement with Gems. It's like two overly excited fluffy puppies meeting each other (Tobirama grimacing in the background, 'Crap. There are two of them…'). He says he has been looking forward to seeing the current Gems too. Before they get too carried away however, the Minister of the Left cut in by saying.

"Hime-sama, please remember yourself. We talked about this…"

This prompted Kagome into sheepishly checking herself back. She has received many lessons on how princesses and heads of states must be graceful and dignified and aloof at all times before but she keeps forgetting herself or letting herself get carried away. It can't be helped. She is too excited to see all these people and their vibrant lights. She is sure she will be able to learn much from these ninjas. But… the ministers did have a talk with Kagome prior to this meeting and made her promise to stay mostly quiet at least for the first three days of the Summit.

'Observe them carefully,' the ministers bade her. 'Villages composed of multiple ninja clans is a thing never before done. Remember that these Hidden Villages are an unknown force. Find out if these men are worthy of your faith in them and if they can be trusted to become partners on the road of your progress. You must be silent for only when you are silent do you hear the true voices of your counterparts.'

Responding to the Minister of the Left, Kagome says. "I know. I'll be good. It's your floor now."

In a way, this dynamics is reflective of Kagome and the minister's management style. Whereas Kagome is the voice for change, progress, and new thinking, the Ministers are the grounding voice of experience and traditions. Both sides have strengths and weaknesses and work best when they are balanced out by the other. Around this time, Kagome has only been ruling for close to two years, not nearly enough time to gain significant experience regarding actually running a country so she relies on the ministers a lot for the fine details in dealing with foreign diplomats and day to day management of the court. On the other hand, without her forward thinking and direction, both Ministers are at risk of becoming mired in traditions and stagnation.

For now, it's a good balance as Kagome is still young and inexperienced. But as the story goes on, as Kagome grows up and matures as a leader, the Ministers will gradually lose this grounding effect on her and be dragged on by her wish for progress (which necessitates a bigger grounding effect on her, hence… Tobirama…). But that will be in late arc 2 (which spans over 6 years of story time) and start of arc 3 (which takes place over 3 years).

 **39/** With that statement from Kag, the Ministers announce the start of the Kage Summit and declare that they will act as moderators in the princess's stead.

"Place your hats on the table. You are here today because the Hokage has called for this meeting. For the sake of peace between all villages and their respective countries, let this five day Summit be a productive one."

This is rather surprising for the Kages. Despite Kagome being the one seated in the seat of moderator (similar to Mifune of Iron Country in canon Naruto), she herself is quiet and has left the task of actual moderating to the Ministers, her supposed subordinates. Flanked by the two elder and far more experienced Ministers of the court (in the case of the Minister of the Left who used to be a war general back when he was young, far more physically imposing too), the princess seems a little girl child sitting by the knees of her elders. Their interaction just now looks not at all like the interaction between mighty ruler and loyal subject, but rather a father or grandfather chiding a girl child who doesn't know better. This move coupled with Kagome's appearance (too young) and seeming lack of power (no detectable chakra) lead to the majority of the Kages forming doubts and hypotheses of their own regarding the true power behind the throne of Gems.

The princess of Gems is certainly very lovely, pretty as a doll as highborn maidens are wont to be, but it takes more than a pretty face to reign over a royal court and steer a country—no matter how small—in the right direction. Could it be that they have put too much stock in the rumors and hearsays? Could it be that despite their experience, even the Kages were taken in by tall tales about the mighty witch queen of the white forest? Could it be that the true power, the true ruler behind the throne of Gems, is not actually this dainty looking princess but the Ministers at her back?

 **40/** With the exception of the longer time (5 days instead of 1) and a truly neutral location (Gems instead of Konoha), the Summit happens very much like in Canon. Hashirama talks of peace and a stable power balance between the big 5 via fair distribution of the tailed beasts. Tobirama says that Konoha expects monetary compensations for these beasts. The first Kazekage (Reto) claims that his village doesn't need a tailed beast from Konoha because they already have one of their own and that he expects to be compensated for joining this pact between the big 5 despite not receiving any tailed beasts from Konoha. Arguments break off once the other Kages hear what the Kazekage wants for his signature on the pact (a portion of fertile land from Fire as well as 30% of whatever the other villages pay for their tailed beast).

Throughout all of this, Kagome observes without saying a word. Her silence and passive demeanor even when the men around her are threatening wars and violence against each other further bolsters the Kage's suspicion that she is simply a figurehead and that the true rulers of Gems are in fact the Ministers at her back. The more they think about it, the more the idea makes sense. Aside from her skill as a doctor, all other achievements credited to her are via words of mouth with no clear proof from people outside of Gems. The barrier surrounding this nation is certainly as powerful as ever, but there's no proof that she is the one who created it in the first place. The prosperous state of this nation is no Genjutsu, but the direction and improvement of a country are also things within the purview of these two Ministers. As to why she is credited with all these achievements, it may be to build up a figurehead to improve national morale, rally people around, and to scare enemy powers from outside.

At the start of the Summit, some of the Kage and their aids discreetly keep watch of Kagome and her every move as they want to learn the secret behind the barrier (which can be an incredibly powerful tactical tool if… when… conflicts break out between villages). However, as the Summit goes on and this idea takes root in their head, they gradually turn their attention from the one young woman in the chamber, until finally it is as if she does not exist at all.

After that explosive start as in canon, negotiations between villages begin. Nitty gritty detail negotiations. All five villages are newborn in a sense, and all five villages are dealing with many new problems that they have never had when they existed in clans before. Tobirama and Hashirama attempt to smooth out the deal with Sunagakure. Then they discuss how the transaction will take place, how the tailed beast will be transported from one country to another, if Konoha will support in processing the tailed beasts into sealed containers after the transaction, and so on and so forth. In between this, there's also a lot of posturing and grandstanding between villages. To ninja society, the creation of Hidden Villages is a new era. Each of these villages is an unknown in terms of power and influence. These villages also have not tested their strength against each other. This means that unlike Naruto time, there is no clear power hierarchy from the weakest to the strongest among the big Five (in terms of military power, economy, political influence, and population). Without a clear hierarchy, all villages are discreetly testing and egging each other on (in a controlled manner of course. They don't want war right away, but they do want to establish their village's dominance. Unofficially, this is also a goal of the Summit though an unstated one. The Kages all implicitly understand that the outcome of this Summit will decide the dynamics between villages in years to come and so they are all interested in making a stand against each other). This discussion lasts for hours and commands all of their attention. Even Tobirama, who previously is the most wary of Kagome and her intentions regarding the ninja she has allowed inside her kingdom, has seemingly forgotten about the princess of Gems who has not said another word since greeting them into this chamber at the start of the Summit.

'My suspicious nature gets the better of me this time. I see a shadow on the wall and think it a tiger, but it's only a kitten after all. Well, they say it's better to be safe than sorry. Gems can still be very useful in the future but right now, this Summit with the other villages is far more important,' Tobirama thinks. Aside from Tobirama, Kazekage and Raikage also share this thinking. Mizukage is ultra-suspicious by nature so he still has his second keep an eye on Kagome just in case ('One should never judge a woman by her appearance. Women as a whole do not function by the rules of would be a fool to judge a woman by the men standards' he thinks on this case). Tsuchikage, on the other hand, is not fooled by Kagome's timid and quiet demeanour. Unlike the others, he holds personal counsel with the Earth Daimyo and bore witness when Kagome's letter arrived at the court of Earth two years ago. He also knows the state of past Gems intimately, having come into this country before, and so knows for a fact that all the changes he's witnessed in this new Gems are not at the hands of the two Ministers. He knows something else is going on here. He himself is also under the impression that Kagome is a mere figurehead after having been informed by Mu (the second Tsuchikage, though right now he's the second in command to Ishikawa the first Tsuchikage) that Kagome has no chakra to speak off, but out of all the Kages, he is the only one who isn't entirely fooled. The Tsuchikage also has plans for Gems and Kagome. His allegiance lies with the Earth Daimyo after all, and the court of Earth has not forgotten the insult it suffered at the hands of Gems two years ago.

 **41/** This is going all according to Kagome and the Minister's plan. The Kage's underestimation and dismissal for Kagome is perfect too since it allows her to observe them in full. Kagome's immediate goal with this Summit is to study these Kages and their seconds and find out if they are suitable candidates for her plans for progress. This is something she has discussed at length with both ministers. Kagome admires Hashirama's intent for for peace by calling this Summit, and firmly believes that these ninjas hold the key to the technological progress she seeks. However, a letter is still just a letter. People can write anything in a letter, even things they don't mean. Therefore, she needs to see Hashirama Senju and ascertain whether he is truly honest with his desire for peace. She must meet all the Kages and ascertain if they too are interested in peace. She needs to find out if they are people worthy of her faith in them. If they ignore her because of her seeming lack of power, then all the better. People show themselves the most when they feel safe and secure. In fact, this underestimation of her by the Kages and their aides is something the Ministers have already foreseen.

'They likely will see you as a figurehead,' said the Ministers weeks before the Summit takes place. 'Not only are you a young, unmarried woman, you also look and behave nothing at all like how traditional rulers should be. Some will take that as a mark of weakness in rulers… especially ninjas who are used to warlike Daimyos. We of Gems know differently of course, but they don't know that. They don't know what you are capable of. It is in a ninja's nature to see conspiracy where there's nothing, so likely they will think the true ruler of Gems to be either of us and you to be a mere puppet through which we gained control of the country. Hah! I will pay to see the look on their faces when they find out this is simply not the case.'

Kagome is perfectly fine with that. In fact, it would be good if they keep dismissing her from their mind all the way to the end of this five day Summit. That way, she will have plenty of time to observe them as they haggle and argue themselves to an international balance with this Summit.

 **42/** Unfortunately for Kag, her wish is not granted. Her state of functional invisibility in the majority of the Kage's eyes lasts only until around dinner break of that first day. An incident forces her to break this image of a demure and seemingly harmless princess of the country. It starts with a ripple in the inner barrier.

Some explanations regarding the current barrier system of Gems: after deciding to acquiesce to Hashirama's request, Kagome and the Ministers both agree that changes need to be made to the barrier in order to ensure the security of the Summit. Not only are they letting in an unknown force into the country, this Summit is also a chance for any nobles unsatisfied with the current state of Gems to act up. After considering various alternatives, Kagome put in several changes to the barrier. The first, of course, is to temporarily modify it to allow the Kage's entrance. The second is the addition of five mini barriers around the accommodation of the Five Kage teams in order to prevent foul play and ensure the safety of their guests. Both of these changes are more or less publicly known to the court of Gems. The third change, however, is done in secret with only Kagome and the Ministers in the know.

The Ministers have cautioned Kagome that by making changes to the main barrier, Kagome can create an opening through which dissatisfied nobles can smuggle in foreign forces with which to threaten the crown of Gems. The creation of this second layer of barrier surrounding the castle is a direct defense against this possibility. Like the white forest barrier, this inner layer of defense is mostly invisible to naked eyes. It is only visible to chakra sensors looking deeply into the area where the barrier is active or when a foreign force comes into collision with it. Initially Kagome wanted to create a bigger barrier surrounding the entire city state, but she then found out that creating such barrier without the help of anchoring trees and making it invisible is still beyond her at the moment (if she doesn't call on the full power of the Shikon that is), so she has to contend with a barrier around the castle ground only.

Kagome's barriers also function as an extension of her sensing abilities, allowing her to know when something has happened within their boundaries. The moment this ripple occurs, even while the other Kages and their seconds are engrossed in their discussion and completely unaware, Kagome is immediately alerted. Concentrating on her link to the barrier, she sees the nature of this disruption: death, and pain, and the desire to inflict yet more pain on others. Someone has committed murder in the territory of her beloved Gems. Someone has committed murder right at the rim of her castle ground. Someone has committed murder on her people, on the people she swore to her adopted father to protect with her life.

This simply cannot be allowed.

Without another thought of the Kage Summit and the bickering ninjas before her, Kagome stands up, turns to the Minister of the Left, and says simply.

"Call the imperial guards."

Now the conversations around her stopped, not only because of the completely out of the blue statement, but also because of the 180 change in the princess's tone. If before her voice was soft and gentle like a spring breeze, then it is now hard hard and unyielding as cold steel. That is not the flimsy voice of a girl child used by her ministers as a figurehead. That is the voice of a leader. Immediately, alarms go up in the ninja's heads. When heads of states call for their guards, it usually involves ninja with the ninja being on the wrong side of the day 9 out of 10 times. This time it has nothing to do with them though.

Without needing a world of explanation, the Minister of the Left understands that something truly big must have happened for Kagome to disregard their plan of staying quiet and meek for the first four days of the Summit. He simply nods in response. No questions, no objections, not even when the Kages and their seconds look on in confusion and wariness and ready to act at a moment's notice.

Closing her eyes, Kagome spreads her sense and her protection through the zone where the ripple first originated. "The Moon Gate in the East Wing. The bridge is down. There are… explosives involved."

Her words send ripples of surprise through the ninja. Explosives? And something big enough to take down a stone bridge. And yet all ten ninjas here, the best their countries have to offer and four of which are master sensors, have not heard nor detected a single thing out of place. Just what in blazes is this weirdo of a princess talking about? There are incredulous looks shot in her direction but by this time, Kagome doesn't really pay any attention to them anymore. Her whole mind is set on the site of the murder taking place right on the rim of her castleground.

"I have taken care of the intruders. Have the guards meet me there," she says to the waiting Minister of the Left, turns her back on the ninja, and walks out the room.

 **43/** The moment she is out, the ministers are pelted with a flurry of questions and comments from their guests. The Kages are not people easily fettered. However, for a host of the Summit to walk out so unceremoniously is a big breach of courtly etiquette and can be interpreted as an insult to their guests from the Hidden Villages. Foreign diplomacy is the purview of the Minister of the Right, so he steps forward to take control of the situation.

"We apologize for this disruption. However, it seems an incidence has occurred. We have cause to believe that the safety and security of the honored Kages assembled here may be at risk. Our princess has decreed an order and is seeing to the matter in person. Fortunately, it is time for dinner break. Shall we not call a temporary end to this discussion and have ourselves some refreshment, gentlemen? We assure you that this matter will be resolved shortly. You needn't bother yourself with it."

While his counterpart is busy soothing the ninjas (many of whom are already starting to rethink their initial assessment of the princess of Gems and her power or lack thereof over her subjects), the Minister of the Left goes to issue Kagome's command to the imperial guards.

* * *

 **End Part 5**

* * *

1/ This part was supposed to come out earlier and last for longer. For reasons as to why this is not so, check my Ask Sythe tumblr page for the misadventures of Ice Cream the needy kitty.

2/ I will upload the next part today, so stay tuned.

3/ Next part: the Tenseiga manifests, the ninja sensors get a close up to an equivalent of the 'Suna Sungate' incidence in the main story line of FtGoG. Tobirama and Mu nearly break out in fright when they glimpse the unfathomable depth of the princess of Gem's power. It's like you wake up to find you have been sleeping next to a deep ocean whirlpool. The introduction of the first of Kemono's children. And finally, Kagome's plan for progress via ninja cooperation. Also, that promised day out on the streets of Gems with the Kages (who will be at the end of a lot of passive aggression from normal Gems' citizens. "The princess believes in your dream of peace. None of the nobles trust that spiel you wove but the princess fought for you to be able to host your Summit here. For your sake, I hope you weren't just blowing smoke from your A-hole when you told her that dream, punk," says the hulking owner of Bandit Noodles to a flabbergasted Hashirama while cracking his knuckles threateningly over the steaming bowls of noodles he just served the Kages and their seconds. "Oh by the way, this noodle is the best of Gems. You better believe it. And the store next to me, they make the best pastries of Gems. You better try their pies too… if you know what's good for yourselves. We are not letting you leave Gems without seeing how great our kingdom has become under Hime-sama's reign. Now eat that fucking noodles")


	6. Clan War Era 6

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except for the plot and the world building and the small army of OC characters. Actually, now that I think about it, I own a lot. But… uh… not the stuff that can make money… if you get my drift.

This is a collection of AU ideas branching out from my other Inuyasha/Naruto crossover story 'From the Garden of Gods'. Some of the AUs I have promised: Kumo AU, Clan War Era AU, among a few. None of these are full-blown story. Most of them will be written as bare plot lines, drafts, or one-shots covering the premise, plot hooks, and specific events in the story lines. If I have the time, I will try to turn these AUs into full-blown stories, but as it is right now, I have too many story ideas and too little time. If anybody reading this wants to try their hands at turning them into full stories, be my guest. And don't forget to send me a notice when you do. I'd love to check out people's interpretation of the plot lines I sketch out. Most of these AUs probably won't be beta-ed either as my betas are largely busy these days and I really don't want to bother them too much. I know I can be a big bother to them when I get too excited with story ideas. If you want to help me out once in a while by proof reading and such, send me a text (warning: I bounce around stories worse than a bunny in a carrot farm. I also get easily distracted). If you want to discuss story ideas with me or just want to bounce ideas, don't feel shy either. And now, without further ado…

* * *

 **Clan War Era AU – Part 6**

* * *

 **44/** Now back to Kagome. The castle of Gems is not particularly big especially when compared with the castles of other Daimyos or countries. Still, it is a sprawling complex that encompasses most of a small inland peninsula stretching out from the banks of a great lake. If Kagome walks on foot from the meeting hall to the Eastern Wing Moon Gate, it will take her upwards of 30 mins, so she asks one of her ninja guardians (at least one of these guys… or gals… are always with Kagome) to take her to the location on ninja-speed.

So they go and arrive in under two mins. The first sight that greets Kag is the translucent wall of her inner barrier. It is only visible when under attack. On the other side of the barrier is the destroyed bridge connecting the castle ground with common ground outside. Bodies litter the ground, her soldiers, the castle defense force. Some are already dead. Some would be maimed for life if she does nothing now. And standing there before the downed castle guards, frozen in mid-throw by her power, are the attacking bombers. By their clothes, their lack of livery, and the extensive armaments on them, these are clearly mercenaries hired with a purpose in mind. The fact that they were able to sneak past her outer barrier, and instead of going for the city as normal bandit raid parties would have done, went straight for her castle is a very clear clue that their employer is among the dissatisfied nobles the ministers have told her about.

In any case, the attackers are now neutralized by her power. They are not going anywhere. Not until the imperial guards arrive to take the grenades from their hands, take them into custody and find out who the mastermind behind their botched raid is. This is a job that Kagome herself can't do. The only thing she can do right now is to heal the soldiers who were injured or outright killed in the attack.

Without hesitation and despite the soldiers calling for her to stop and stay within the safe zone inside, she steps through the barrier and stoops down to inspect their wounds. In the last two years, unrest in Gems has gone down to nearly zero. Outside of the occasional arguments among the citizens, they have had no cause to worry over security. To make maximum use of their limited labour pool, a major part of the castle defense force has been sent to work on various public projects and such. As a result, the actual defense left is thin. The teams protecting the Eastern Wing Moon Gate only numbers at a little over fifteen guards, five of which are already dead or dying before her eyes since they stood too close to the blast radius. The ones that are not at immediate risk of dying are still grievously wounded by shrapnels from grenade explosion. For this case, ordinary doctor skills are not enough. For this case, Kagome will need to call upon her Miko and Shikon based healing power.

There is a risk of course. This ability is something the late lord has cautioned her against revealing to the public many times in the past, especially in the company of foreign ninjas who have the most chances of figuring out its true massive potential or the mechanics behind it. However, as she watches these men who are in pain or dying because of her, Kagome feels no hesitation. She stretches out one hand and calls upon her greatest healing skill, the only skill in her arsenal that can safely and without injuring herself revive the recently dead.

The manifested Tenseiga.

 **45/** Flashback section: to explain how and why Tenseiga is in the possession of Kagome (and not Sesshomaru) and why she can actually utilize it, we need to take a trip back a few years in time to when the late lord was still alive. Remember that conversation between the lord and Kagome regarding her healing abilities and how she should study to become a true doctor to hide her hax white mage skill? Yeah, the previous lord of Gems didn't stop at simply providing Kagome with wise counsel. When he decided to adopt her into the royal family, he truly felt as if he had gained a daughter in the place of his own blood daughter he had lost in a raid years ago. He looked after the young Kagome (back then in her late teens) just as a father would his child. During this time, the lord encouraged Kagome to find out the extent of her healing abilities in secret. Similar to how Rasa views Kagome's ability in the main FtGoG, the late lord sees that these untested and misunderstood abilities may put Kagome at risk or even injure her in the future. Kagome, seeing wisdom in his suggestion and herself gradually feeling closer and more emotionally dependent on him, agreed to test out and study her healing abilities (which she views as among the most benign of her Shikon-boosted powers) in secret.

Of course, Kagome couldn't do this by herself and the lord himself was of little help. So the lord called in the assistance of the guardian ninja family who acted both as 'lab rat' for Kagome to test her healing powers on and as opinion experts who had more knowledge than both the lord and Kagome on abilities unique to individuals (ala Kekkei Genkai).

At first, the tests were more or less quite tame, but gradually grew more intense as Kagome worked her way from petty wounds to larger, actually potentially life threatening injuries (purposefully inflicted by the ninjas on themselves). Until finally, they realize that very likely that outside from death or old age, there is no injuries or sickness that she cannot heal with her power. Some among the ninja hypothesized that perhaps Kagome's power can revert even certain kinds of death (i.e. unnatural death as opposed to death by old age). By that time, Kagome had already successfully healed countless fatal injuries or sickness so this hypothesis was not without some proof. However, Kagome was adamant against testing whether this was true. Aside from the absolutely horrifying fact that any kind of testing of this hypothesis would involve them having to kill a person and then see if Kagome could successfully resurrect this person without the person or Kagome suffering any kind of side effects from the resurrection process, Kagome herself feared the obvious answer to that hypothesis in the first place. Deep down, she knew she could actually resurrect the recently dead with the full Shikon power. The Shikon itself is the condensed form of the soul of the most powerful priestess in recorded Miko lineage as well as countless demon souls. Kagome knew it was capable of stopping and reverting death. After all, Kohaku had already been buried for days when Naraku exhumed his corpse and used a single shard of the Shikon to anchor him to life. The whole Shikon is exponentially more powerful than a single shard. And when Kagome fused her own soul with the Shikon, thus tying it to her forever, the strength of her own soul had only strengthened the Shikon (and she in turn strengthened from it).

She knew for a fact that she could endlessly resurrect the dead. What she didn't know was whether she should do it… or even if she had the stomach for it. Death, despite the pain and grief associated, is not a bad thing. Death is part of a cycle, a part of life. When the body dies, the soul merely moves on to the next stage of the cycle. Resurrection really is just… a pause in this cycle. In the short terms, it may spare the living from the grief of parting… but looking long term, resurrection of dead people really is just stagnation of the soul. Besides which, something in Kagome feels like if she starts abusing this power, not even mentioning the very real chance of her being subsumed by the demonic side of the Shikon, she herself may become warped by the power resurrection brings. And so, despite the occasional prods from the guardian ninjas and the late lord, Kagome was adamant that they didn't even talk of possibly testing whether she truly had the power of resurrection or not.

Unfortunately for Kag, she did not really have a choice. There came an incidence that forced her to confirm once and for all whether she truly could resurrect dead people or not. Since the day she became a citizen of Gems, Kagome had taken on the mantle of healer. So it was only a matter of time until she was confronted with the inescapable death of a patient under her care. Not to say that no Gems citizens died while Kagome was in the country. They still had death of course. But mostly people died outside of Kagome's clinic. They died of old age, or of freak accident. Because of her sheer healing power, especially once she was given an education in medical disciplines, the ones that made it to Kagome never died while under her care. There were people who died on the way to her clinic but those were few. The incident that forced Kagome's hand was a man who was dying of a case of heart attack. The family took him to her clinic only about a minute late. Kagome did all she could using ordinary methods when faced with such a situation but ultimately knew that the only thing that could save this man was her resurrection power. She wavered between the choices. On the one side, she didn't know how it would go. On the other, she could feel very keenly the panic, despair, and hope of the family waiting for the father to be saved by her hands.

Kagome—being who she was—eventually caved, and using her Shikon boosted power, lit the spark within the man's cold body once more. She told no one of this incident. The family of the man simply thought she was able to save his life at the last minute and the resurrected man himself knew no better. In secret she watched over this man and his family to see if there were any side effects. There were none, as far as she knew. But that didn't make the choice any easier for Kag. The ability to freely delay death at will came with a terrible weight. Eventually, this man would die once more. And what would she do then? Resurrect him again if the same family turned their hopeful hearts in her direction? And if she gave him life once more, what then? Just because the first time had no side effects did not mean a second time would work out as smoothly. Not to mention the possibilities of side effects happening to Kagome herself. Furthermore, all lives must end eventually. Such is the law of nature, of life. It is a cycle as old as time. Who was she to defy this natural order of things?

And yet, Kagome knew that to refrain from using this power would prove difficult for her. If the same situation were to repeat. In silence, she struggled with this dilemma… until one day the lord called her to his chamber and talked to her of this difficult choice. He knew the terrible choice she was agonizing over, he said. He knew because like all fathers worrying over their children, he had been watching her. She wore her heart on her sleeve, so it was only natural for him to look out for her. Then he talked to her at length regarding her power and its dilemma.

Such is the danger of her power, he said. That is the reason why he prodded her to study her own abilities in depth, because he feared that if she could not control it, then it would one day control her instead (in this sense, the lord is very similar to Rasa from the main FtGoG storyline, except his method of handling Kagome is far more gentle and patient compared to our taciturn Yondaime Kazekage. Ahh, Rasa, if only you knew how to sweet-talk lost little girls into compliance. But… oh well, Rasa is Rasa. He's not someone who has had decades of failure and loss to reflect upon and mellow out his more extreme qualities). In response, Kagome said that perhaps she should swear off this power forever. She had already tasted its seductive promise once. She should stop while she still could.

Shaking his head sadly at her, the lord said that he didn't believe her capable of refraining from using her resurrection power if the right situation came along. If someone died for her, or because of her, would she be capable of resisting the temptation of using her power to fix her mistake? If a catastrophe occurred and thousands of people died, would she be able to turn her eyes the other way? The compassionate healer he knew would never be able to keep herself away and therein lay the danger. When the lord saw that Kagome could not answer his questions, he called in the head of the family of guardian ninjas and together, they explained to her that they had thought of a possible compromise to deal with her unique situation.

This power was too useful to be left alone entirely, they said, and Kagome herself was unlikely to be able to resist from using it if a situation that absolutely required its use were to occur before her. But on the other hand, experiences told them that such powerful abilities usually have significant drawbacks or side effects. The more powerful the bloodline ability, the more severe the potential drawbacks. The history of ninja clans have plenty of examples to draw from. The Uchiha, despite their incredible prowess, have a staggering percentage of clan members with mental and social adaptability problems. While they can freely intrude upon the mind of another, the Yamanaka were in turn at risk of becoming lost in other people's minds if they delved in too deep and for too long. Considering the strength of Kagome's power, her drawbacks, when they happened, could have catastrophic effects on her. Therefore, it was necessary to find a way to control this power and manage the risk associated with it.

This was when the ninja family head came in. Being a mother of six children, two of whom had developed minor but still unique abilities of their own, the Gems ninja matriarch was especially knowledgeable on rearing first generation Kekkei Genkai bearers. With the permission of the lord, she had been observing Kagome's abilities from afar and these were her conclusions after months of tailing her from the shadow.

"Your ability is still in its formation state," she said. "Its power and vague nature is proof that it's still only developing and has not actually taken on a stable form yet. You are also at the appropriate age." (Kag is 17-18 around this time and her puberty was in full swing when this conversation happened. This is the appropriate age the ninja matriarch was referring to.)

The fact that Kagome's abilities are actually still developing carried both opportunities and threats, said the matriarch. The threats here were the very real possibility that her powers would keep growing more and more powerful—and consequently more and more uncontrollable.

"Uncontrollable growth is the number one reason why most first generation Kekkei Genkai carriers die before reaching adulthood," she said. "The powers grow uncontrollably until they swallow their own bearers. Consequently, the most powerful and established Kekkei Genkai in our society are those that have matured and with mechanics extensively studied by their bearers. The Uchiha provide a great example in a mature bloodline with clear developmental stages and limits."

The opportunities, according to the matriarch, was that because Kagome's power was not yet fully formed, they could take steps in proactively shaping it into a manageable form and avoid the possibilities of the power growing beyond Kagome's control. For someone who did not know the basis as well as extra power source behind Kagome's abilities, the matriarch's deductions were actually very accurate. When Kagome asked her how she could do this, the matriarch said.

"It is a simple matter of visualization and mental discipline. Powers like yours always have a degree of mental visualization involved. When you heal people, you also have to visualize them in some way, do you not? The very same process can be used to force a shape onto your yet formless powers. For your sake, and the sake of the people around you, you must force it into a manageable shape."

For the next several months, the matriarch spent much time coaching Kagome through the process (which was amazing really, considering Kagome's power ran on a completely different basis than ninja's Kekkei Genkai but she wasn't wrong about the whole visualization and mental disciplining playing a role in defining the ending structure of an ability). As to how this would help Kagome manage her power, the matriarch explained it thus.

"Think of your developing power as a great lake. The water inside is fresh and clear. But in this form, it is difficult to make use of this lake. A lake is very unwieldy to use. You have to work around its form in order to utilize it. When you are thirsty, you must go to the lake and drink from it. When you need to wash, you must go into the water. There is no other way around it. And every time you do this, you run a risk of falling into the lake and drowning in its depths. Now then the task of forcing your power into a structure is akin to using a pitcher to get at the water inside the lake. The pitcher gives your power a new shape, a new maneuverability. Now that you have this pitcher, you can make your power work for you instead of working around it to get to a desired result. If you are thirsty, you no longer have to go all the way to the great lake. There is water now in this pitcher and this water goes with you everywhere you want. You no longer have to go to the lake. Certainly the water is less in a pitcher than it is in a lake. However, it is enough for most of the things you need to do, and you don't run the risk of falling into a pitcher and drowning in its waters."

In this sense, what the matriarch had Kagome do is basically to structure her power into a weaker but far more manageable version, and committing to using that version only. It's an act of forcing certain limits and weaknesses onto her previously god level cast from lifespan resurrection skill to keep from inflicting its massive long term costs on her. At the end of this period emerged the manifested Tenseiga. For good visualization, the matriarch set Kagome to creating a solid healing/resurrection schema with less power and more limits than her current ability (basically creating a mold with which to shape her formless powers). Sesshomaru's Tenseiga is the greatest healing/resurrection ability that is still very benign in Kagome's memories. It was clearly weaker than her ability since it is only capable of resurrecting a person once in their life and there has to be at least a sizable portion of the body intact (whereas Kagome can grow back entire limbs and other stuff). However it was safe to use and had a clear form and limits to it. So Kagome took on the form and limits of the Tenseiga and used it as a mold with which to create another healing ability that, while inferior to her current one, is also vastly more safe and poses no dangerous philosophical question since she can only resurrect them once with this ability.

And thus the manifested Tenseiga was born in Kagome. On the whole, it functioned in a very similar way to the original Tenseiga and has almost the same limitations. In honor of the Tenseiga's fame as the sword that can save a hundred souls with a single swing, Kagome made it an AOE ability and gave it the exact shape of the original Tenseiga. To most people, this manifested Tenseiga is already a very powerful ability, but compared to Kagome's original power, it is vastly inferior. Still, it is far safer to use and has next to no costs on Kagome. The late lord approved of this version and told her.

"Now you can take that burden from your heart. Use this ability to your heart's content, and agonize no more, my sweet-hearted child. Think of this not as granting another life, but as giving a bit more time for people to truly appreciate what they have and to say proper goodbyes. I don't want you to play god. I want you to be my carefree and happy little daughter, always."

This section here as well as the absolute trust and love the late lord had for Kagome lays the foundation for her to gradually learn to control her Cthulhu-level power bit by bit in arc 3 of the story (which culminates in a mano-a-mano of epic proportion between Full Shikon Kag and the Ten Tailed. Madara is trampled underfoot somewhere when this battle of the giantesses happens I'm sure).

 **46/** Back to the present. It takes but a mere thought for the Tenseiga to emerge from the palm of her hand. Unlike the original Tenseiga, this Tenseiga is part of Kag. It is composed entirely of her spirit and power despite its borrowed appearance and structure. It takes a single swing for the ability to activate on all the wounded and the dead in the area. The healing itself takes only a few minutes to complete for the wounded, and around five or ten more minutes for those dying or already dead soldiers.

During this period, the imperial guards arrive to take the bombers into custody and help take the now more or less healed gate guards into the royal clinic for examination. They are basically the cleanup crew. Another team is sent in to take the place of the guards and a different team to inspect damages to the bridge and see if there are other explosive charges hidden in the area. Gems may have enjoyed the last 2 years in isolated peace, however, memories of wars and bloody raids of the past are still fresh in the minds of many veteran soldiers still working in the castle, so it is not all that difficult for them to deal with the aftermath of this surprise attack. All in all, with the exception of the now ruined bridge, this entire affair ends fairly smoothly and takes only a little over fifteen minutes. A sweep of her barriers reveals no more warning signs. The only thing left to do now is to figure out the person behind this raid today.

Now Kagome is thinking of what to do. Certainly she needs to return to the ministers to convene after this raid, which can only be someone's plan to get to her and her court, but the ministers at this time must still be busy with the Kages and the still ongoing Summit. Thinking of her reaction back in that chamber, she feels a smidge of embarrassment. She reacted without thinking of her station as the host and head of state. If she did it again, she would still have done more or less the same. Kagome is not someone who can sit idle if she knows her people are in danger, but still, that probably did not leave a good impression of her on her guests. Feeling rather sheepish and somewhat expecting to be chewed out by her ministers now, she turns around to start walking back into the castle. But the moment she turns, she sees that she's not going anywhere now, because the people whose impression of her she was worrying about mere moments ago… are now standing right in front of her.

 **47/** The cat is out of the bag. If an hour before this event, the Kages and their seconds largely thought of Kagome as the demure and harmless figurehead princess of Gems and someone not worth much thought or attention, then going by the sheer shock on their faces now, it's clear that they are now laboring under no such delusions. Despite her intention of laying low and observing the ninjas under the protection of her functional invisibility in their eyes until the very end of the Summit, Kagome, because of her overly worried and hands-on nature as a leader, has ousted herself by the end of day 1 at the Kage Summit.

As to the reason why the ninjas are out here and not back in the Summit chamber, one word: sensors. Four among the ten ninjas present are master sensors: Tobirama Senju of Konohagakure, Mu of Iwagakure, Shamon of Sunagakure, and first Mizukage Byakuren of Kirigakure. Normally, Kagome's Miko ki cannot be detected by ordinary ninja sensing methods (sensors who can use Sage arts can sense her presence though) because Kagome herself actively suppresses the majority of her power in a bid to safety contain the Shikon within her. However, when she uses her higher tier Shikon-boosted abilities, it is impossible for her to hide her presence and the enormous power of her Shikon-fused soul. That is exactly what happens the moment Kagome activates Tenseiga. It basically is this AU equivalent of the Suna Sungate incident except this time, it's way worse because of the sheer proximity. Imagine sensors like Tobirama and Mu sensing nothing worthy of note in Gems for an entire day, and then suddenly, BAM, a frigging sun appears right next to them. Where there was nothing mere seconds before, now there is a vortex of light, an abyss of energy, a primordial chasm of untold power. It's a nasty shock especially for warriors who have been taught to always be prepared and always be aware of their surrounding since birth. Kagome's power also has an especially intense effect on master sensors because their mastery and sensitivity means that they are capable of comprehending the sheer enormity of her power on levels that normal ninjas simply can't.

All of this means sudden chaos in the Summit chamber when Kagome activates Tenseiga. One moment everybody is fine and dandy, and then the next, all four of the sensors are jumping up in shock and barely suppressed terror, some even shaking because of their proximity and sensitivity to the absolutely behemothic alien power source. For a split second, the Kages of all five villages, who have all been on their guard due to the tense arguments of the Summit, think that someone in the other villages has decided to jump the gun and do something stupid… such as attempt a retroactive assassination of the Kages to sow chaos in the newborn villages for example. But then all four of them turn at once to the same direction, eyes gazing at some other place out of the chamber. The other six ninjas, despite not being sensors, are no fools. They know that something truly immense must have occurred in Gems for their comrades to react in such a way and of course, their being ninja and their intention to find out more about the secrets of Gems means that they can't stay put. It takes but mere minutes for them to go (jump actually… through the windows of the Summit Chamber right down to the open courtyard below that is) to the site where whatever the hell that is is happening… despite vocal objections of breach of etiquette from the Minister of the Right.

And then, when they arrive at the aforementioned Moon Gate, what do they see? The princess of Gems, glowing and with a sword made entirely of some strange energy in her hands. She is standing among the bodies of the fallen…who are actually rising one by one, healed and made whole in a way that no other Iryo jutsus are capable of. Some, observed by one or two among the Kage, appear to be already dead but are given life by the strange technique performed by the princess of Gems. And lastly, the princess of herself… is actually the source of that terrible power that sent all four of their sensors, who are also their most seasoned and powerful warriors, into momentary and reflexive panic.

Not even in their wildest dream did the ninjas present ever imagine the source of this alien energy, this…. abyss of sunlight… would turn out to be the young princess they all thought to be completely harmless.

 **48/** For about two minutes, mutually awkward staring ensues because both sides aren't entirely sure how to handle this situation in the first place. Somebody blurts out.

"What the heck was that? What the heck did you do?"

He means Kagome's manifested Tenseiga. Before Kagome can reply however, they are interrupted by the Minister of the Left who runs into the scene with a furious expression on his face (the Minister of the Right trails behind his friend and panting from having had to run the entire distance from the chamber to the Moon Gate. Rightie, who works diplomacy and other managerial task, is not in good shape compared to his friend Leftie).

"Shinobi kind," he says loudly, aged voice thunderous. "Do remember who you are addressing. You are standing in the exalted presence of her honorable lady ruler of the Land of Gems. Not only have you disregarded my colleague the honorable Minister of the Right's request for you to stay within the castle, you dare address the princess ruler of this land with such disrespectful tone. You dare spit upon our hospitality and good will towards your kind. I care not who you are in your newborn village, you should be on your knees and begging the princess for her exculpation. This old man will gladly die before he let the honor of his lady be so besmirched. You are unworthy of even uttering her name let alone addressing her in such uncouth manner. Kneel now and beg for forgiveness, I say, or leave this land and never return again."

* * *

 **End Part 6**

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1\. This section of the plot outline is way longer than I thought. That's probably because I'm putting in much more details compared to the first arc whose aim is to lay the background of the story only. Oh well…

2\. Next update in a day or so. I want to at least finish the Summit part of the plot before turning my attention elsewhere.

3\. Regarding people who have been asking me when I will update the main FtGoG. Since the last two updates to FtGoG AU, I've been getting questions from readers as to what's happening to the main story of FtGoG and when you can expect an update (and also why I'm focusing so much on FtGoG AU). So I thought I should address it a little here. FtGoG is still going. Don't worry. I said I had about a week of downtime last week didn't I? It's still true. I have about 2-3 more days when I can do pretty much anything with my time and then after that, intense works. I want to make the most of the time I have left to turn out as many updates as possible. Unfortunately, that means stories with fast-pace plot, short writing time, and requiring less attention to details and right now that means FtGoG AU (since it's just a plot line and not a full-blown story with thick world building, intricate details, and intense characterization). I think I can turn out 2 more updates for FtGoG AU before I have to return to my usual work schedule. I would never be able to get so many updates now if I were to work on stories requiring a lot of research and careful character writing such as FtGoG (and Mirror Mirror, and Tis Femina, and… well you know the list).

Though, FtGoG readers, don't worry. The next chapter is getting there. I'm about half way through it now but I have to be careful with Jiraiya. I don't want to write a caricature of the character so I've got to be careful. If you are so anxious for the next update of FtGoG, I did post a 3000 words preview of the next chapter on my asksythe tumblr page, so there's that.


	7. Clan War Era 7

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except for the plot and the world building and the small army of OC characters. Actually, now that I think about it, I own a lot. But… uh… not the stuff that can make money… if you get my drift.

This is a collection of AU ideas branching out from my other Inuyasha/Naruto crossover story 'From the Garden of Gods'. Some of the AUs I have promised: Kumo AU, Clan War Era AU, among a few. None of these are full-blown story. Most of them will be written as bare plot lines, drafts, or one-shots covering the premise, plot hooks, and specific events in the story lines. If I have the time, I will try to turn these AUs into full-blown stories, but as it is right now, I have too many story ideas and too little time. If anybody reading this wants to try their hands at turning them into full stories, be my guest. And don't forget to send me a notice when you do. I'd love to check out people's interpretation of the plot lines I sketch out. Most of these AUs probably won't be beta-ed either as my betas are largely busy these days and I really don't want to bother them too much. I know I can be a big bother to them when I get too excited with story ideas. If you want to help me out once in a while by proof reading and such, send me a text (warning: I bounce around stories worse than a bunny in a carrot farm. I also get easily distracted). If you want to discuss story ideas with me or just want to bounce ideas, don't feel shy either. And now, without further ado…

* * *

 **Clan War Era AU – Part 7**

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 **49/** The Minister of the Left's declaration sends a jolt into the shinobi group. His statement is boldly confrontational (in that reflexively protective way. Both the ministers see Kagome as their lifelong friend's daughter and strive to protect her in the same way the late lord did) and rather hard to accept especially for proud warriors like the Kages and their seconds, but it does have some truth in it.

In terms of social hierarchy, despite her youth and the relatively small size of her country, as an officially inaugurated head of state, Kagome still outranks the Kages. She is a peer of the realm, and since her country has severed their allegiance with the Earth daimyo and shedded their status as a mere vassal country, she can now be considered a Daimyo of the same rank but lesser power than the Daimyo of the Big Five Nations and not simply a minor lord like her late adopted father. Arguably speaking, each Kage is seen as the military leader and political equal of their own Daimyo. However, in terms of social legitimacy, the Daimyo system is the established system with centuries of history behind it whereas the hidden village system is a newborn one that is not even guaranteed to survive in the next five to ten years. Furthermore, the creation of the Hidden Village system also owes much to the Daimyo's financial and authoritative support. Without coins as well as acknowledgement of legitimacy from the crown of their respective country, the hidden villages would be nothing more than especially large, multi-branched clans. It is this acknowledgement from the crown of their nations that lend credence to the Kages and their villages, not the other way around. In terms of courtly etiquette, what they did was nothing short of the worst behavior expected of national guests.

On the other hand, all the ninjas standing here are the best of their society, the most powerful and wise ninja warrior lords and each of them represents not only their village but also their country in this negotiation. For any of them to bend their knees to this little girl… no… for any of them to show weakness in front of the other Kages, it is nothing short of political suicide.

And to make matters even more complicated, the princess that they previously thought to be a mere harmless maiden… turns out to be a complete monster at least in terms of energy reservoir. Even the six non-sensors, when standing in close proximity to her, can feel the enormous aura within her deceptively delicate form. And they still know next to nothing about her true capabilities.

 **50/** Here we have an inner monologue sequence of the Kages and their seconds covering their reactions (mostly reeling from this turn of events) and weighing the options on how to respond to the Minister of the Left's angry demand. Very death note - esque (ala all Light versus L in the tennis court). Lots of lightning speed over-thinking things and dramatic reactions in seconds. The dilemma is: what the fuck do we do? On one side, they were rude to the monarch of a country. That in itself is already a crime punishable by death in many nations. On the other side, they are too proud to admit wrongdoing, especially in front of others in big boy Kage club. This is the first meeting of Kages. If they show weakness here, it will lead to disadvantages for their nation later on. On the side next to that other side, the princess of Gems turns out to be a frigging chakra monster and it may not be wise to tick her off while standing inside of her barrier. If it were any other minor heads of states, they would have strong armed their way out of this predicament, but after that light show the princess put on just now, it's clear that they have all made a monumental misjudgement. She has yet to display any combat abilities, but going by the size of her 'chakra' reservoir (which feels more like a bottomless chasm than an actual reservoir and isn't that a scary thought? That this slip of a girl possessing an energy of such scope and depth unfathomable to some of the most experienced warriors of the land), if she knows even a little bit of ninjutsu and if her ninjutsu possess even a shred of the ingenuity and potency displayed in her barrier works, then they are all fucked six ways from Sunday. Also, they are still standing in the heart of her barrier, the very same one that put an entire bomber team out of commission with a mere thought from the princess from a mile away. The ninja have absolute confidence in their battle prowess, however, this situation is simply completely out of the realm of expectations for them. Provocative actions or brute force solutions are probably not wise right now.

Best case scenario, despite the abyss of energy in her tiny body, the princess doesn't actually have any combat power. The ninjas get to leave with their dignity mostly in tact and only risking a mildly ticked off minor country that has no way to actually punishes them for their indiscretion. Granted it's a downer to end the first Kage Summit in such a way, but it's still not such a big loss.

Worst case scenario, her raw power is actually backed up by combat abilities…

Everybody over-thinks things and attempts to worm their way out of this tricky situation… except for Hashirama… who is ready to really get down on his knees and apologize… like the sissy he is. Tobirama gets ready to stop his brother from committing a monumental political faux pas.

 **51/** The situation is resolved by Kagome who soothes the Minister of the Left by saying.

"It's alright, Hosokawa-san. If we are talking breaches of etiquette, then it is I who made the first blunder by leaving my guests in such abrupt fashion." When she sees the Minister of the Left preparing to push his case, she continues on by saying. "I understand your feelings. I too do not appreciate being talked to in such fashion…" + pointed look at hot-headed idiot who put foot in mouth + "...however, the aim of this Summit that we all worked so hard to put in motion is peace and stability between the great five elemental nations. I deeply admire the dedication to peace of our honorable Kage who have put aside all other matters of their villages to attend this Summit today. I too wish for peace in the region. But… how can we of Gems say that we have wholeheartedly strived for peace when we cannot even overlook a few petty blunders of our friends here today?"

Around this part, Hashirama is fangirling pretty hard over peace-loving Kagome in the background.

Minister of the Left is not happy. He is a particularly hawkish character. However, he has too much respect for Kagome and too much tact to argue the case here. Anyhow, this matter is more than just a difference of diplomatic preferences between him and Kag. Just as the Kage must appear strong in front of each other, if Gems, represented by Kagome, is seen as weak or lenient in such cases, it may lead to a future where their already very small nation is pushed around by villages with greater military power. With a glance, he conveys this worry to Kag, who understands without a word. Turning again to hot headed idiot who put foot in mouth, she says firmly.

"That said however, Shinobi-san, regardless of the situation, I do not appreciate being addressed in such a way. I am young and may not look much to you, however, I am princess ruler of this country. I represent my people and my nation. An affront on my person is also an affront on my nation. And I... I will absolutely not allow such insolence upon my country and my people. Take care that you do not repeat that."

 **52/** I haven't decided on who hot headed idiot who put foot in mouth just yet. The ninja pool we have here are composed of people who aren't easy to surprised into making mistakes. However, Kagome's aura does have a very disconcerting effect on people who can sense her presence. So, the 4 sensors mentioned above are the ones with the most chance of reacting to her presence in ways they don't usually do: Tobirama, Mu, Shamon, and Byakuren (Mizukage). Examining this pool, Byakuren has the least chance simply because of his age and doubtlessly extensive experience. It would be hard to surprise a ninja who has survived for that long in that bloody era before the founding of the hidden villages. So we have three left: Tobirama, Mu, and Shamon. From canon, neither Tobirama or Mu seem like people who cannot control their emotional reactions unless placed in some rather extreme situations (which this kinda is for sensors. It's not pleasant to be a sensor when Kagome activates her ability. Imagine standing next to a raging tornado. It's that kind of instinctive reaction. One simply cannot act rationally as one usually does when standing in the face of forces of nature and in this case, Kagome is a force of nature… in human form). We don't know much about Shamon except that he is a very methodical Kage who spearheads Sunagakure's military expansion in canon. Out of these three, Tobirama probably has the most chance of being hot-headed idiot who put foot in mouth… not because he is hot headed or has a habit of frequently putting foot in mouth, but because he has the most chance of higher emotional reaction to Kagome's aura than the other three. Tobirama starts out already quite wary of the princess of Gems and her intentions in accepting his brother's rather badly worded request, even more so than the other Kages and their seconds, simply because Konoha, the instigator of the Summit, has the most to lose if the Summit goes wrong. Not only will they not achieve their objectives, their credibility in the ninja world will also be affected. Tobirama also feels like he must compensate for his brother's overly positive perception towards the princess of Gems and her unbelievably peaceful and prosperous nation. So, in a battle of chances and likelihood, because of the unique situation as well as his naturally suspicious disposition, Tobirama has the most chance of being hot headed idiot who put foot in mouth.

Congratulations, Tobirama, you are now christened as hot headed idiot who put foot in mouth. Way to make an impression on Kag. It's going to come back to haunt you …. soon.

This part is not really set in stone though. There is another candidate for the position of hot headed idiot who put foot in mouth: Mu. Similar to Tobirama, Mus as a character is not an individual easily shocked into poor action choices. However, in terms of circumstances and perspectives, he has more chance to react especially negatively to Kagome in comparison to Shamon (who is truly neutral towards Kagome and her country and has little to no preconception of her prior to entering Gems). Mu is the second to the first Tsuchikage and in time will become the second Tsuchikage. Mu's home village, Iwagakure, is allied with the Land of Earth and the Land of Earth does not have a good recent history and relation with the Land of Gems. Both Mu and Ishikawa the first Tsuchikage entered Gems with low priority intentions towards Gems. In the view of the Land of Earth, Gems is rogue vassal state which they are interested in either punishing or bringing back into their sphere of influence.

If it's punishment, then a simple assassination of of the head of state, aka our baby girl Kagome, will do. Mu, famed as the Null-Man, is an expert in assassination so his attendance in this Summit definitely has a reason beside bodyguarding Ishikawa.

However, if the other route of peaceful subjugation is chosen, then it's a different matter entirely. The White Forest Barrier remains unbreachable. However, prior to coming into Gems, both Ishikawa and Mu assumed that once they gained entrance, potential assassination of the princess of Gems, Kagome Higurashi, would be a breeze for two Kage level ninja (provided they do it after the other Kages have left the Summit of course. Because of Gem's status as host of the Summit, if they do act at the wrong time, other villages can take this as an excuse for aggression towards Iwagakure). However, there is no denying that Kagome is an incredible asset. Not only does she possess unparallelled skill as a healer (which Iwagakure and Earth lack after the long years of wars), she also seems to possess deep knowledge on barrier work like no other clans in the ninja world. To kill such a person without checking if subjugation is possible would be a waste of opportunity, especially now when all the new born villages are scrambling to collect and consolidate resources to sustain the large number of ninja within them (more on that later). A resource such as Kagome can be invaluable in the competition of villages to come, so to simply decide to assassinate her without feeling out the waters first would be imprudent for Iwagakure who are facing stiff competition from both Sunagakure (their immediate neighbor) and Kumogakure (bad diplomatic relation). The truth is that Iwagakure, in coming to this Summit, is interested in surveying the state of Gems and see which option is the better one: assassination and sabotage… or peaceful subjugation.

With this in mind, Mu would have a slightly higher chance of reacting to Kagome's unexpected power. He had come expecting a tricky… but not entirely too difficult mark. What he found instead… is a complete chakra monster that can, potentially, put both him and Ishikawa in danger. Furthermore, canon Mu is confirmed as an extremely talented sensor, being able to sense chakra and distinguish between different types of chakra from kilometers away. This sensitivity means that his reaction to suddenly being exposed to the absolute chasm of energy that is Kagome is several magnitudes worse than other shinobi.

With all this in mind, Mu is also a very promising candidate. Congratulations, Mu, for becoming the runner up to the position of hot headed idiot who put foot in mouth.

 **53/** After all that excitement, Kagome then politely but very firmly asks the shinobi to return to the castle where a welcoming feast has been prepared for them. She apologizes and says that she won't be able to attend the feast with them as planned since she will be busy resolving a few kinks to ensure a smooth Summit from tomorrow. She then wishes them a good night and a productive Summit tomorrow.

This is where the Summit of FtGoG AU starts to become really different compared to Canon Summit. Due to security reason, canon Summit was pushed into a one day event. This limited time eventually led to very aggressive negotiations between kages as well as many issues between the newborn villages not being resolved. With the politically neutral and relatively safe Gems being the location, the Kages are not pushed into aggressive diplomacy (for lack of time) and have the time needed to resolve other issues among themselves. The changes at first are not much, but eventually will snowball into some very significant differences from canon. Some changes are better, some… not so.

Anyhow, Kagome's request is accepted and complied with fairly smoothly. After that episode just now, nobody wants to kick up a fuss so soon. So the shinobi leave and Kagome is left alone with the two ministers to discuss the attack on her castle just now.

The moment they have some privacy to themselves, the ministers proceed to chew Kagome out for putting herself into unnecessary danger and letting slip sensitive information in the process. That was recklessly stupid of her, they say. She didn't need to go all the way to the bridge herself, they say. The moment the bombers kicked up troubles while standing inside her barrier is when things ended for them. An automatic defense system is put in place in preparation for this Summit so that the moment violence is instigated, it is instantly stopped. The soldiers were hurt yes, but with her power, healing them after is no problem. On the other hand, she is the most important person of the country. Her power constitutes the biggest and only defense they have against foreign aggression. She cannot needlessly place herself in danger. Furthermore, she let her emotions got the better of her and revealed information that would have been better released at a later time. Her power, and her being the true leader of Gems and not just a figurehead.

"Had I not distracted the ninja with that spiel about breaches of etiquette," says the Minister of the Left. "They might have had the presence of mind to inspect your aura in details and figure out that healing is not the only thing you can do." He's right of course. Healing is simply among the most benign of Kagome's powers. It would have been bad had the ninja been given the chance to observe that the healing is merely the tip of the iceberg. The Minister of the Left' stunt just now is actually a distraction to draw their attentions away.

For her part, Kagome mostly accepts their admonishments. Though she would have done it all over again were she given the choice, she understood that she can not be so reckless again in the future. It goes against her personality, but… to be a leader requires sacrifices of one's own. In any case, Kagome says that it's not so bad that her healing power is revealed. It would have been difficult to hide her aura from such perceptive folks for any significant amount of time. This way, they will think her Tenseiga is the source of her enormous aura and not… something else.

 **54/** Note on characterization: this section here has a lot of nuanced character building moments for Kagome. This is the first time we see her falter and make less than wise decisions as a leader. She reacted without thinking things through and letting her nature made the choice for her instead of rational thinking. She doubted and had moments of regret here. The soldiers were hurt because of her decision to become host of the Kage Summit. Prior to this, Kagome was vaguely aware that there would be danger, but mostly she thought this danger would be on her alone. She did not truly think that this danger might spill out to the people around her.

In a way, this highlights Kagome's relative youth and inexperience as a leader of state. So far we have only seen her best moments as a leader mostly because the situation thus far is fairly contained for her. She lives and works exclusively in a nation where 90% of the people adore her and follow her without much questioning. Her entire nation is enshrouded by protective barrier that prevents widespread violence. In terms of leadership direction, she has the examples of her own world which is centuries ahead of the Naruto verse to use as guiding principles. She also has the counsel of two very experienced high ranking government officers whose loyalty to her is unquestionable. So in a sense, Kagome lucked out in this first two years. Working as the princess ruler of this small country is a lot of work, but it's fairly contained and safe and has few unexpected elements. That she reacted without thinking things through in the last part and in this part is proof that she was not emotionally prepared for the possible consequences of her choice to become host to the first Kage Summit. She is mentally aware, but not emotionally ready for it.

From this moment forth, things will change. Because of her decision to gradually open her country to the outside world (via the hidden villages first), more and more Kagome will get into situations where she has little to no control over the variables. She will encounter circumstances where she is forced to make decisions without knowing all the informations. Her decisions will not be so clear-cut right and wrong, good and bad any more. And most important of all, there will be consequences for her decisions as a leader. People will get hurt because of her decisions, even when it is the right decisions. Such is the natural burden of a leader. People will get hurt and their lives irrevocably changed because of the decisions of their leaders regardless of whether the decisions are bad or good. A true leader must understand the consequences of their choices, that there will be pain, and yet still has the resolve to see things through.

In the near future, things will get tougher and tougher for Kagome. She will have moments of weakness, of self doubts, of regrets. She will make mistakes. She will make bad choices. People will die because of her, and not always because she makes a mistake either. This is a necessary growing pain so that she can truly grow and mature as a leader and an adult woman. Her character must not stagnate. She must continually grow and evolve as the world around her changes because of her own actions.

Kagome's wish is to bring true progress to the world of Naruto. She sees this world as something that is deeply wrong. It is a world in which children die for adult's wars. It is a world in which the egoistical whims of a handful lead to the death of hundred thousands of innocent souls under their rule. To Kagome, this is a barbaric world and she must bring the light of civilization to it. This is all well and good in theory, but progress rarely happens cleanly. The more Kagome stands for something, the more things will stand against her. In so far she has succeeded somewhat in Gems because Gems is a tiny country with not a lot of elements that can truly prevent her march towards progress. However, the world outside is vast and there are countless forces that will stand in her way, that will fight her to preserve the status quo. This is a reality that she must accept. True progress does not come easily and it certainly does not come without sacrifices.

The guiding principle for Kagome's gradual growth as spiritual and political leader as well as the eventual vanguard of social revolution in the Naruto world is: "We have only learned as much as we have suffered." So suffer Kagome, suffer so that you can grow into something truly awe inspiring. I certainly am not satisfied with merely writing a somewhat likable and charismatic good girl leader character. I want to see her grow. I want to explore her failings. I want take her apart, study her core, and then reassemble her into something new and even better. I want to pursue the potentials of this character to the very end. Now that you are no longer constrained by your canon status as distressed damsel, the other woman's expy, and main char's love interest, I look forward to seeing how far you can go and how much you can grow as a character. Do not disappoint me, Kagome.

 **55/** The next topic that comes up among Kag and the two ministers is, of course, the attack that took place just now. The minister of the Left says that it was a sloppy attack. The Moon Gate is nowhere close to Kagome's personal home nor the chamber where the Summit is held. Had Kagome not run to the site of the attack in the first place, this entire affair would have been a mouse's squeak in the night instead of the bombastic disruption it was clearly meant to be. The Minister of the Right comments that the imperial guards are now interrogating the hired mercenaries. He then claims that he expects solid results soon since sellswords of their type are rarely paid for their silence or discretion. In any case, the mastermind can only be among the noble ranks of Gems. There aren't that many noble families in this small country so he expects to have the identity of whatever fools was behind this shameful episode soon, probably within a day.

After some thinking, Leftie observes that the noble family behind this attack is probably not among the well to do families. The attack plan was sloppy and their information clearly incomplete. This screams of desperation. Whoever planned this must be feeling the heat of national changes created by Kagome and wants a way out. Hearing this, Rightie then say that if that is the case, then they would tighten border control now, because if the mastermind is that desperate, then the moment he or she knows their bid to power ended in failure, they will probably try to flee the country.

He is right of course, because not three hours after this, a ruckus is kicked up in the Northern border of the city. It appears a noble family were trying to sneak through the city gate under the guise of the night, but were caught during the act by enraged citizens who have heard of the attack on their beloved princess via the lightning-speed national rumor mills (don't underestimate the power of chatty oba-san! These are the very same oba-san that unanimously adopted Kagome when she was Kemono girl lost in the forest in part one. Nobody messes with oba-san's baby girl!). There is a big commotion as the noble family struggle against the crowd before the guards arrive to put them all in cuffs. After the guards are the Ministers who have been closely monitoring the entire affair. In order to avoid making a scene, the ministers order the guards to throw the noble family into the gallow where they will deal with them later once the ninja leave the country.

Before the guards can carry out that order however, they are stopped by their own princess who has ran all the way from the castle to the scene the moment she got wind of it. It doesn't take more than a moment for the ministers to realize that Kagome probably has some weird solution (in line with her other eccentric directions to the country) in mind. As she passes by them, they stop her momentarily to caution her that this is a case in which her mercy has no place. The noble family have broken the law. They are traitors to their own country and must stand before the court of Gems. It doesn't matter how pacifistic Kagome wants to be, justice must be served and the law of the land uphold. Looking solemnly back at her most trusted advisors, Kagome says softly that she understands but that this is something she has discussed with them before. She takes her position as princess ruler of this nation very seriously. If her subject disagrees with her, then there must be dialogue. She does not want to create a country in which her subjects feel that they cannot voice their disagreements with her decisions. She absolutely does not want to create a country in which they jail or behead anyone that does not agree with her either. For the long term good of the nation, for her ideals as leader, she must understand the source of their desperate action.

With that said, she walks past the resigned ministers and stand there before the chained family of nobles.

 **56/** They are a pitiful sight. A family of four: the father, mother, and two children. The eldest child is a teenage girl who doesn't look a day over seventeen years old, a pretty girl with blue eyes marred by ugly emotions. They kneel before her, shivering in fear and desperation. It breaks her heart to inspire such emotions in people she swore to protect. That she recognizes them is something that makes her feel even worse.

"Hosekisho-san…" she calls their name. The sound of it prompts them to look up at her.

"So you remember us," says the father of the family.

"Of course I remember you. I remember all of my subjects," she replies to which he snorts in derision.

"What good does it do, dear princess? That you deign to remember the name of those whose livelihood you have made obsolete and whose rightful claim to the throne you stole changes little of this situation. I kneel here before you as a criminal, as a traitor, but it should have been my daughter that sits upon the throne of Gems."

It takes but moments for Kagome to comprehend the reason behind the Hosekisho's desperate gamble. Despite Hoshekisho papa's claim just now, the family doesn't actually have such a strong claim on the throne. Because of its limited nobility pool and its tendency to intermarry among itself, Gems royal bloodline, aside from the lord's direct family (of which none remains), runs in a handful of noble families including the Hosekisho. There are at least three other families with stronger claims on the throne of Gems than them before Kagome came in and got herself adopted by the late lord. What they do have to their name however is wealth and prestige that have long since past. Hosekisho means jeweler. Decades ago, the name Hosekisho was pretty much linked to the Land of Gems as they were the family in charge of mining Pearls of the Land and refining them for the late lord. When the mines dried up, their influence and wealth steadily plummeted. The Hosekisho is among the poorer noble families now, and since they have no holdings in agriculture and healthcare, the two fields which have really taken of under Kagome, the family fortunes really didn't change for the better once Kagome took over the reign of Gems. In fact, due to some stiff competition among the nobility, situations have become worse for the Hosekisho under Kagome's reign. Little of the new national wealth and prosperity has trickled to the Hosekisho. On the other hands, much of their influence and riches as nobles is made obsolete as Kagome gradually lifts the common people up. For this old name noble family, this is a rather frustrating state of affairs. And what else? They are stuck with no way out of the country. Once Kagome severed allegiance with the Land of Earth and closed down the borders, the family was robbed of any chance to escape the Land of Gems and perhaps seek fortune in some other countries. So, in essence, in the last two years, Hosekisho have been forced to stay within Gems while their family gradually become poorer and poorer and their noble name slowly losing power and influence.

To the Hosekisho, this Summit in which foreign elements are allowed in (also when the barrier defense is weakened to allow the ninja in) is the only chance with which they can shake things up and make a gamble for the old glory. One of their children is in fact… one of the children who participated in the game of hide and seek with Kemono girl Kagome all those years ago and as a result is closer to Kagome… close enough to know of a way to sneak through the barrier when the ninja come in. The 'keys' that Kagome uses to grant the ninja entrance come from the nursery of her church clinic in the forest. Because of proximity with Kag as well as the active use of her power to rear those plants, the seeds of these plants are imbued with her aura. When a person outside of Gems holds this seed and only when Kagome has lowered the defense of the barrier, the barrier reads the aura in this seed and interprets the person holding it to be… like a shadow of Kag. That is the mechanics behind the 'keys' sent to the Kages that allow them to come in without changing the core mechanics of barrier. This child, because of her closeness to Kag, knows of this and informs her parents of it. The parents, seeing this as the only opportunity they have before they lose the ability to do anything at all to change their fortunes, decide to risk it all in an assassination scheme. Bidding their child to steal a single seed from Kagome's nursey, they then use this seed to smuggle in a team of mercenaries who they then command to assassinate Kag. The bounty on Kagome's head set by the Earth Daimyo is still standing, and the amount is of such quantity that a noble family can easily do over again in another country with it. The Hosekisho planned to offer Kag's head to the Earth Daimy to obtain this money… as well as entrance into Earth's royal court.

Needless to say, they didn't really think things through. They did have some rather good pieces of intel via their child, but their information was not complete, which eventually led to the assassination being a failure and the family forced to flee before the imperial guards come for them. In the Hosekisho's defense, they are desperate and the Summit is a one time only chance for them to do… anything really. One the Summit is past, Kagome will bring up the barrier defense again, thus rendering the 'key' system inert. So if the Hosekisho do nothing now, they will remain stuck inside of Gems until such a time when Kagome deems the country ready to open up to the wider world again.

 **57/** As soon as she comprehends this, Kagome becomes much calmer about the whole thing. Prior to coming here, she feared that through her actions, her failure to listen to the old ranks, or perhaps some mistakes she did not remember, she has driven people to desperate measures. Once she understands the motivations of the Hosekisho however, she also comes to conclusion that the situation here today is nothing more than the failure of the old system. Even before her appearance in this country, in this world, this family's fortunes were already headed downward. If she did not take over as princess ruler of Gems, they still had little chances of setting their offspring on the throne of Gems. And even if they were to succeed, they would then have to face the wrath of Earth, the fires of war and poverty, and more. Despite their bleak fortunes, their lot when Kagome is in power is actually better than what it would have been were canon allowed to happen. They would have been plain dead (either when the country is invaded by other nations or by peasant riots caused by widespread war, famine and instability) otherwise. Kagome is just a convenient scapegoat upon which they heap all of their frustrations resentment born from their misfortunes on. The Hosekisho don't really see it as such, but it doesn't take much for Kagome (especially with her ability to read people's emotions when they are unguarded or experiencing extreme emotions) to realize this.

 **58/** Kagome becomes quiet for a moment while all around her, the normal citizens become even more angry at Hosekisho papa's bitter remark against Kagome. Many of the crowds are older people and thus remember a time when the Hosekisho name had as much credit to it as the name of the royal family. Thus, they are able to deduce why Hosekisho reached for such desperate measures. Their fury at this family and what they were prepared to do, what they were prepared to inflict upon the entire country just to reclaim their old glory, builds up until they are one step away from violent lynching the family Hosekisho for their recklessly selfish scheme. Sensing this anger building up in the surrounding crowd, Kagome steps in before things become ugly for the Hosekisho. Spreading her calming aura over the crowd, she asks them to calm down and for saner heads to prevail, then, turning back to the Hosekisho, she addresses the entire family. She says that despite their scheme against her, she herself is not really angry at them (Our girl Kagome is used to people wanting to kill her even way back in canon. She has nerves of steal when it comes to assassination attempts on her person).

"Despite my utmost love and respect for Kazahana-sama, I deeply disagrees with his belief that the greatest resource this country has is the Pearls of the Land," spreading her hands wide to indicate all the people around her, she explains. "In my eyes, the true gems of this country are not those shiny baubles but you, all of you. Our riches do not come from a few stones we mine from the soil. Our riches come from the people that stand before me now. Just as a jeweler polishes his stones into gems of rare beauty and value, I too wish to refine the young generations of this country. I wish to empower them, to allow them to truly shine. Is that not something you would know better than I, Hosekisho-san? To see the hidden values of things that others without discerning eyes see as rocks of little worth? In my eyes, the true Pearls of the Land are not those shiny, frivolous stones, but in the sheer potential in our people, in our young and our old, in our men and our women, in our noble and our commons… and those people… those people include even you Hosekisho-san. They include your wife, your children. You, all of you, are the greatest resource of the Land of Gems. This is what I believe in with all my heart."

Looking the Hosekisho in the eyes, Kagome hopes at least some of her sincerity will get through to them. "I understand your frustrations and your resentment. I do not fault you for it. That even amidst this time of plenty, a family is left wanting is partially my failing as your leader. But, Hosekisho-san, there is no reason for you to fear the changes I have brought to the country. My vision for the future Gems has a place for everyone regardless of their stations in life. Your family once commanded most of our foreign trade, did you not? I will definitely need your help in dealing with foreign trade in the near future. I beseech you, lord Hosekisho, I have neither anger nor resentment for you. I wish only to give you all a better future. If you would only allow it, if you would only see it. Trust in me, Hosekisho-san. Work with me. I know I may not appear so, but I have nothing but the best of intentions for you and yours."

 **59/** This moment builds upon Kagome's core strength and characteristics as a leader. Some leaders lead by intellect, some by power, some by cunning, and some by experience and wisdom. Kagome is the kind of leaders who leads by her ability to bring people together and bring out the best in them. She may have neither pure smarts nor intellect, but what she has above all else is her faith in the better nature of humans and that in itself is a rare and precious trait to have. She has always had this potential in canon but it was never explored upon nor featured. When you look at the Inu-gang, it is Kagome who is the true leader of that group as well as the glue that kept all of them together. Inuyasha may have all the bustle, the power-ups, and the limelight, however it is Kagome that the members of the group congregate around. Without her, there would be no Inutachi to begin with. This is a core characteristic that I want to preserve and build upon from canon Kagome. Her vision for the future and forward thinking certainly play pivotal roles, however it is this trait that is her one defining characteristic as a leader.

 **60/** This is where the Minister of the Right cuts in. He reminds Kagome that though she is princess ruler of this nation, even she is not above the law. The Hosekisho have broken the law of the land, and must be held accountable for their actions before the court of Gems. In response, Kagome says that she understands and that she would never dream of interfering with the judiciary process. There will be punishments upon the Hosekisho for their actions. However, in light of the unique situation of Gems and their still recovering labour pool, she doesn't think they can afford to throw away perfectly able bodies so a capital punishment is unlikely. In any case, despite the Hosekisho's scheme, no actual human damage was incurred. The biggest loss is that one bridge before the Moon Gate. The bride is old anyhow so this can be an opportunity to renovate and rebuild the entire thing. In any case, the Hosekisho likely will lose their status as nobles of Gems. However, they are still perfectly capable of working to earn their keeps. Besides which, there are still those two children in the family.

"I will not punish the children for the crimes of adults," says Kagome. "If I cannot dissipate this feeling of bitterness and resentment, then at least let it stay in the parents only. Please grant these children a clean slate in life. Please grant them the right to make their own choices and their own life."

 **61/** The Hosekisho parents do not take Kagome's statements well, being too entrenched in their own bitterness and perceived unfairness of the world. The littlest child is too young to truly comprehend the situation. The eldest daughter of the Hosekisho, on the other hand, is touched by Kagome's gesture. She stands up and reaches for Kagome's outstretched hand, at first with uncertainty and timidness, especially when her father screams loudly for her to retract her hands and to remember the Hosekisho pride, but then in determination and resolve.

Clasping the princess ruler's hand tightly in her fist, the daugther turns back to look at her parents. Tearfully she says. "I'm tired of being bound to the past glory of my father and grandfather. You talk of the Hosekisho and our gems, but I have never once witnessed that glory you so missed and yearned for all your life. I do not want to stand forever in your shadows. It is my life and I…." Turning to look at Kagome in the eye now, the daughter exclaims.

"... I want to shine too."

This girl is the first among the 54 Kemono's children. Who are the Kemono's children? They are the children who participated in that game of hide and seek with Kemono girl Kagome all those years ago. They are the first Gems generation to grow up and receive their education and philosophical ideals from Kagome. Because of their love, admiration, and close connection with Kagome, they all strive to grow to their best potential under her tutelage. Each of them have areas and fields they excel in. Some will become pioneers of sciences and engineering, some in medical fields. Some will be the vanguards of journalistic and scholastic disciplines. Some will become bastions of national defense and masterminds in international espionage. Some… will follow Kagome's stead and become the next generation of Gems political, spiritual, and thought leaders. Kagome, despite her power and influence, is still only one person. It is through these Kemono's children, that she will bring true change to this world. In a sense, these 54 are Kagome's mental and ideological offsprings, hence the nickname Kemono's children. In time, the world will come to know and fear the impact of these 54 children of Kag.

Because of her family's misfortune and creeping fall into poverty, when she was a child, Tomoe Hosekisho often found herself in the company of common children (despite her parent's wishes). It was in one of these play dates, that she got in contact with the legendary Kemono girl of the forest. She is not the eldest among the Kemono's children, however, Tomoe is the first of them to be properly introduced into the storyline and her impact is among the first to be felt in the international scene. Tomoe Hosekisho, first of Kemono's 54 children, excels in commerce and will become the person who creates and establishes the first international banking system in Naruto verse (similar to the Swiss banking system). This system will prove pivotal in Gem's eventual economic and cultural conquest of other nations in the near and far future.

In arc 3, during the world war of five shinobi nations versus the Land of Gems, it will be through this system that Gems inflict devastating economic blows on the big five nations (say hello to crippling economic depressions and widespread bankruptcies of some of your largest companies, land of Fire, Earth, Wind, Water and Lightning. I bet you didn't think that was possible did you?), thus creating the first instance in Naruto verse history when economic warfare is applied in response to military aggression. The ninja, poor lil outdated folks, won't even know what hits them. Just because Gems has no standing military does not mean that they are incapable of bringing entire empires to their knees via their power as the biggest trading and technological hub of the world. Well, to be fair and in the defense of hapless ninja, economic warfare is a type of wars that is centuries beyond the current Naruto verse timeline.

 **62/** Back to the Kages and their seconds. By this time, the Kages have all retired to their personal accommodations. They were politely and tactfully told to please remain in their rooms and not to venture outside without informing their Gems guide. However, their nature as Shinobi means that they can't resist sticking their nose in stuff and see what's up. Each of them have a method of distant surveillance and spying and after that episode with the princess of Gems, they all have some very good incentives to apply them and see what's going down with the princess. This means that this entire thing with the Hosekisho just now is avidly watched from start to begining by all the Kages and their seconds from their rooms or on the roof of the royal castle. By witnessing her speech and effect on the people, each of the Kages are forming their own conclusions and opinions regarding the princess Gems.

The Mizukage is vilified in seeing proof that his usual caution is right on the money. "What did I tell you, my faithful follower? It is not wise to judge women based on their appearances or first impressions. Women are creatures who defy all conventional standards. When you think they are weak, they are actually strong. When you think them naive or foolish, they are instead and wise and witty. And is this not proof of what I said to you?"

The Raikage and his seconds are on the most part surprised by this unexpected show of strength. "If I did not feel for myself her mighty aura back then, I might not have believed that woman down there to be the little princess that greeted us in the meeting chamber. To think… there is the will of a monarch underneath that delicate appearance."

Mu and Tsuchikage are very concerned. They have now witnessed Kagome's potency and charisma as a leader of state… as well as her subversive ideals. To elevate the common people to the same rank as the nobility is something that, if left alone, will eventually destroy the feudal system that Earth and almost all other countries follow. In one hand, this simply proves even more that Kagome is an incredible asset. On the other, she is now an even more dangerous element as her political ideals and teaching may create unrest and subversive movements on the international scale. Tsuchikage orders Mu to watch Kagome closely and look for weaknesses that they can exploit.

Kazekage and his seconds are impressed, but at the same time, the Kazekage remarks on her emotional nature as unbefitting as a leader of state. "She is certainly a splendid leader, however, such strong emotions have no place in the leading of a country. That she allows her emotions to get the better of her in front of us earlier is proof of her youth and naivete." Shooting a look at his second, he then adds. "This… sentimentality, this emotional nature of her is something we can exploit." Kazekage intends to use this to maneuver his own country into a position where they can benefit from Gems.

As to Tobirama and Hashirama (who are hanging in the West Wing roof of the castle)... Hashirama is fangirling even harder. Though this instance of fangirling is far more serious in nature compared to the previous ones where they are more comedic effect. Looking in the direction of the Gems princess and in a solemn voice, Hashirama says.

"I cannot deny that I too harbour some doubts in regards to the princess. But now that I have seen this, Tobirama, I have decided that I really like Higurashi-san. If situations allow it, I would really like to return here again" He wants more of course. He wants to sit down and have a long and honest conversation with Kag. He wants to hear her ideals and opinions. He wants to share his own dream of world peace with her. It is the dream of a mad man, many have told him, but for some reason, Hashirama has a feeling that Kag won't see it as a fool's pipe dream. For now though, it's difficult to put all of that into words. Tobirama, being his brother, doesn't need to hear all of that to grasp his brother's feelings though. In response to Hashirama's declaration, he can only think to himself.

'That is what I fear the most brother. That you would be so taken with her. It's just a feeling right now, but something tells me there is hidden darkness in the heart of the princess of Gems. This pleasant facade is not all that she is.'

In any case, now that the Kage's expectations of the princess of Gems are completely subverted and then inverted altogether in the span of a single day and the princess's intention of opening up her country and reentering the wider world is hinted at, the following days of the Summit will definitely prove to be interesting.

* * *

 **End Part 7**

* * *

1\. So long, so long, but all of this plot elements and developments are absolutely vital to the story later on,

2\. It seems noodle guy has a lot of fans. We still haven't gotten to his part yet. But don't worry. we will definitely get there in the next part.

3\. Next part will be up in a day or two. I need to power through this part. Go, Sythe! Go! Write like mad now while you still can!

4\. Somebody asked me if I have thought of a name for this AU. Uhh… I haven't, since this is just a bare plot line. I just refer to it as the Clan War AU. If we do give it a name though, have any suggestions?

5\. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. My imagination went and created the fourth arc to this story. Clan War Era AU will not have only three arcs. It will have four full arcs. The fourth arc will be when the survivors of the first ninja world war band together with Gems to create a resistance against Madara's Tsukuyomi-ed world. Eehhh! I'm so excited!


	8. Clan War Era 8

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except for the plot and the world building and the small army of OC characters. Actually, now that I think about it, I own a lot. But… uh… not the stuff that can make money… if you get my drift.

This is a collection of AU ideas branching out from my other Inuyasha/Naruto crossover story 'From the Garden of Gods'. Some of the AUs I have promised: Kumo AU, Clan War Era AU, among a few. None of these are full-blown story. Most of them will be written as bare plot lines, drafts, or one-shots covering the premise, plot hooks, and specific events in the story lines. If I have the time, I will try to turn these AUs into full-blown stories, but as it is right now, I have too many story ideas and too little time. If anybody reading this wants to try their hands at turning them into full stories, be my guest. And don't forget to send me a notice when you do. I'd love to check out people's interpretation of the plot lines I sketch out. Most of these AUs probably won't be beta-ed either as my betas are largely busy these days and I really don't want to bother them too much. I know I can be a big bother to them when I get too excited with story ideas. If you want to help me out once in a while by proof reading and such, send me a text (warning: I bounce around stories worse than a bunny in a carrot farm. I also get easily distracted). If you want to discuss story ideas with me or just want to bounce ideas, don't feel shy either. And now, without further ado…

* * *

 **Clan War Era – Part 8**

* * *

 **63/** The second day of the Kage Summit begins with… a complication during breakfast. The Land of Gems is the host for this multi-day Summit, and aside from providing venue and accommodation for the Kages and their seconds, also provides other comforts including, of course, sustenance. Since this is officially the first diplomatic visit in Gems ever since Kagome's coronation as the ruler of the country, despite their wariness and bias against ninja in general, the castle and kitchen staff are determined to put on a show worthy of kings and princes ("We cannot let these upstart ruffian ninja lords look down upon our Hime-sama! Break out our best pans and pots, ladies! Food is just another kind of war, and in the name of Hime-sama and our motherland Gems, we are not losing this one! We must show them the power of our cooking! Fight! Fight! Fight!"). So they go all out with the foods and drinks provided. Gems maybe a small country, but it has had to play host to princes and kings of far more powerful empires before, so the staff are no green hands at catering fit for royalties. To add to that, due to the agricultural revolution Kagome created, they have access to some of the best ingredients (especially compared to the outside world where a famine of epic proportion is going on). They cooked up a storm since the day before in preparation for the welcoming feast, using their best recipes and ingredients which have garnered praises from nobles and royalties before, fully expecting their culinary masterpieces to be marvelled at... Except… not a thing they made for the welcoming feast was even touched by the ninja.

The Kages, lifelong paranoiac that they are, refuse to take even a single bite of the food for fear of being poisoned. The excuse they give is that they already bring provisions of their own, and will not be requiring any from Gems, thank you very much. Of course Kagome and the ministers were informed of this since the night of the first Summit day. Though this can be seen as rather impolite of the Kages to refuse offers of hospitality from Gems, there is actually a valid reason for their paranoia. The hidden villages at this time is a newborn system. Each village is comprised of clans many of whom have a long history of strife and bloodshed amongst them not dissimilar to the Senju and Uchiha situation. Each village is founded, headed, and tenuously held together (despite the clan's past grievances against each other) by a single individual that became the Kage of that respective village. Unlike the villages in the era of Naruto, all it takes to bring about the collapse of a village now is the simple assassination of a single individual (or a handful of individuals if the village is blessed with multiple strong leaders such as the case of Konoha where both Hashirama and Tobirama can easily take over the mantle of Hokage), aka the founding Kage that is still holding everything together and holding clans who have yet to let go of their grudges at bay.

Of course, all the ninjas participating in this Summit understand this fact, that this Summit, despite being a meeting aimed to create collaboration and ease the friction between villages, can also be potentially the biggest opportunity for competing villages to assassinate the Kages and seconds of other villages. The easiest and potentially untraceable way to do that, of course, is via poisoning. Certainly using Gems as the location means a lot less concerns regarding security as it removes the chance of third parties with a thing against the newborn villages. However, that does not mean that everything is guaranteed to be hunky dorey. After all, the great five villages themselves are composed of clans that have had a long and bloody history with each other. Being too careless or too trusting of Gem's power to prevent foul play amongst Summit attendees is just asking for an assassination attempt to happen. And that is the reason why all the Kages (with the exception of Hashirama who is canonically an overly trusting Hokage and who is trying his hardest to make every shinobi buddy with each other) refused to partake in the welcoming feast Gems prepared for them for fear of being poisoned.

Which brings us to the situation of the morning after: breakfast… which the Kages are fully intent on refusing to partake in just like the welcoming feast the night before. Kagome of course is having none of that.

 **64/** She shows up at breakfast and once the Kages start reiterating their refusal and excuses, responds by saying.

"You have all come here with a single goal in mind: to create stability among your nations. Though wars have ceased for the moment, the ill will and petty hatred that birthed it in the first place lingers. I am certain that I am not wrong in saying that none of us here want a return of wars. The only way to combat this ill will and petty hatred, of course, is to foster trust and collaboration among the great hidden villages. However, if the leaders standing here cannot even share a simple meal together, then how can you expect to create trust and goodwill among your fellow countrymen?"

There is truth in what she says, but of course, our group of paranoid ninjas aren't just about to let what they still see as a very young woman tell them what to do. Both Tsuchikage and Raikage respond by saying that Kagome's sentiment is nice, but ultimately too naive for a leader of a nation, whereas Mizukage and Kazekage refute her statement that the aim of this meeting is to create stability. Mizukage claims that stability among the great five is a nice luxury to have, however, what the villages are more interested in is the deal that Konohagakure is proposing. Kazekage agrees and says that this is a mere business transaction. If stability can be created, then that's good, but he won't be so naive as to walk into this Summit while expecting that a single meeting between the leaders of the five great Shinobi nations will actually be able to accomplish that.

At the end of it all, the Kages claim that despite Kagome's good intention, the truth is that she has little in the way of assuring that no attempts will be made on the Kage's life especially with ninjas from other countries present here (she does actually. It's just difficult to prove and requires massive trust from the ninja's side on Kagome… which is not going to happen upon first meeting). Even in the case that she has something up her sleeve, they question if the risk itself is worth it? On the one side, whether long term stability can be created is still up in the air. On the other side, if something were to happen to any of the ninja assembled here, the political blowback would be far more than her country… or Konoha… can ever hope to mitigate. Considering all of this, isn't it better to err on the side of caution? This is but the first Summit. If things go well, there will be other chances, they reason.

 **65/** Kagome does not want to accept the Kage's arguments at all. To her, it seems the stubborn excuses of those who do not want to let go of old grudges and habitual (and in this case, counterproductive to long term goals) paranoia. She has dealt with such folks before, in both her youkai acquaintances and in her ninja patients. Her instinct is that she must put her foot down in this one occasion because if she doesn't, she will create a precedent in which the Kages feel that they can push her around by brandishing their 'age and experience' over her. But she must do this in a way that seems reasonable and won't tick the ninja off (too much). A tricky situation, but one Kag has thought of before. The solution is simple. If the Kages will not break their fast out of paranoia and fear of poison, then she shall offer them the service of a food taster. No, she shall go beyond that. If the food taster is just some random person, likely they will still find some other excuses to deny her intentions. Kagome… shall offer herself as the food taster.

Sitting herself beside the table where a breakfast feast has been prepared by the kitchen staff, she says resolutely.

"If something were to happen to one among the honorable shinobi here, I wouldn't be able to mitigate the political blowback of such an event, and that such risk far outweighs whatever gain may be achieved in fostering good will and good positive experience among Kages of different nations. That is your reasoning isn't it? I can't say that is not true. However, going by that reasoning, if something were to happen to me while honorable shinobi are here in my country, I wonder what kind of political blowback that would create?"

Her out of the blue and clearly provocative question sends a ripple through the shinobi, prompting one or two Kages into asking warily.

"Just what are you saying, exactly, princess of Gems? What are you insinuating?"

"Nothing at all, I am insinuating nothing," replies Kag while still smiling pleasantly. "I simply am following the line of reasoning honorable Kage-dono have suggested is all. Well, my country is just a small one and with little military presence, so I can't really say if there will be any political blowback. However, my barrier is something that exists separately from my own existence. If something were to happen to me, the barrier would still stand strong. That is not to say that nothing would happen were something to happen to me however. The great barrier that protects this country exists separately from me. However, it is my will that powered its creation, and my heart that steers its growth. If something were to happen to me, its creator, it definitely would react in ways that honorable Kage-dono here have never before seen nor anticipated. I can't say if that's something on the same level as political blowback, but if this… theoretical assassin of Kages… wants to put on a performance here, in my own country, and upon the lives of Kage-dono who I will be accompanying for the duration of this Summit, then certainly this theoretical assassin will also have to think about the consequences of… let us say… collateral damage on my person, does he not?"

By this time, confusion has started among the ninja. Just what exactly is the princess of Gems getting at, they think. The ministers, however, already have an idea on what their eccentric leader is about to do. They don't like it at all, but then again, this is not the first time that Kagome does unexpected things regardless of whether her advisors like it or not, so they can only resign themselves to going along with her.

That is not wrong, concur some Kages while eyeing Kagome warily. But just what are you getting at, princess of Gems?

"I merely am treating this issue the same way that Kage-dono are treating it… as a risk and reward equation. If the risk of putting Kage-dono in danger is of higher value than the goodwill and positive precedent we will create, then it is a simple matter of changing this balance by adding a new variable to the equation isn't it? In that case, I am adding… myself."

Taking a cup of tea from the table, a cup that would have been served to one of the Kages, she takes a tiny sip, then offers this cup to the shinobi standing in front of her.

"If the princess ruler of Gems herself acts as your food taster, then surely any potential assassin, theoretical or not, will have to think twice about putting on an act in my country, in the heart of my barrier, does he not? So, how will it be, Shinobi of the five great nations? With my own life as insurance, won't you at least break your fast with me?"

 **66/** Stunned Kages are stunned. To explain the significance of Kagome's offer, the position of food taster in this period (mirroring 17th-18th century pre industrial revolution period of our real world, especially in Asian countries) is an incredibly precarious one where death on the job is a very real possibility. Because of this risk, this position is reserved for disposable people, i.e. slaves, capital crime prisoners, and other bottom rung occupiers. The only exception to this general rule is the case of especially high profile meetings and banquets where the head of one state entertains the heads of other states. In this kind of high stake events, food tasters of higher social standing are required in order to assure the guests of the safety involved. In these cases, typically the food tasters are the youngest sons or daughters of minor noble families. Not all poisons are fast acting. There are various rare and potent poisons whose effects are slow enough to bypass a normal food taster altogether. Adequately delayed reactions can make moot the purpose of bottom-rung tasters. For this reason, tasters who are minor nobles themselves are required. Their status is high enough to show that the host will lose something of value should they fail to ensure their guest's safety at the banquet table, but not so high that their death will cause significant loss in the case that the host intentionally fail to assure the guest's safety at the feast table. However, even the rationale behind this practice of using minor nobles as tasters is inadequate in justifying Kagome's action. For the leader of a nation to lower herself to the position of a food taster, an ignoble job at best and a death sentence on timer at worst, the very idea is nonsensical madness. What sort of monarch would subject herself to the shame of being the food taster for others… and of course not to mention the risk to her life? This is also the reason why none of the shinobi predicted Kagome was going to offer herself up as food taster despite the rather hammy hinting mere minutes before.

To say that the princess ruler of Gems offering herself up as the food taster for the Kages during the course of the Summit is an unthinkable offer with no precedent in recent history would be a monumental understatement. Not even in their wildest imagination did the shinobi ever think she would actually do something like that, that she would be…. 'Either naive enough, stubborn enough, childish enough, or plainly crazy enough' think the ninja… to risk herself just to get them to share a meal with each other. On the other hand, this impulsive and reckless action does confirm the more astute Kage's observation of Kagome's childish (in parts and in their eyes only), idealistic, and emotional characteristics. These traits coupled with her natural charisma and obvious brilliance in certain aspects of ruling and country developing (her single-handedly dragging Gem's agriculture, education, and health care system from medieval to modern standards for example) constitutes an unpredictable and unorthodox monarch whose more extreme tendencies cannot be tempered by her advisors or court (since they are pulled along by her charisma).

This event combined with the surprise reveal of Kagome's power the night before will serve to set the tone to the interactions between Kagome and the Kages and the ninja under them. This is also the event that starts Kagome's reputation as an incredibly unorthodox monarch, one whose actions and thinking cannot be easily grasped. Given time and combined with Gem's meteoric rise to significant world power later on, this reputation will lay the foundation to Kagome being viewed as a savant strategist whose actions initially seem foolish and naive only to turn out to be unthinkably brilliant later on.

Also, as Kagome hoped, this event would serve to build up Gem's reputation as a land where conventional ninja reasoning has no place in. Gems plays by its own rules which are decided by its own ruler, regardless of what the ninja think. In time, this reputation will serve to highlight Gems as a place of neutrality and ideal as truce ground between the hidden villages. In time, it will also give Gems a significant edge in negotiations with the ninja and their respective nations.

 **67/** There is a moment of hesitation among the ninja (because of the sheer shock and incredulousness of Kagome's unexpected proposal). However, that moment passes swiftly. Regardless of how unprepared they were and how unthinkable Kagome's proposal is, these are still the foremost of their brethrens and veterans at dealing with the unexpected. A few of the Kages (the more stubborn and proud ones such as Raikage and his second) look like they are about to refute Kagome's proposal by using _ye olde nitpicking no jutsu_.

Before that happens, Hashirama steps forward and accept the tea cup from Kag (with a somewhat chagrined look on his face) and says something decidedly Hashirama-esque like 'For the princess ruler to be bothered by such a small thing… I truly am humbled. If you do not find this person's status too lowly to share a cup with you, then please accept this as a sign of my gratitude and my trust.'

Then he drinks the tea from her cup. This kickstarts a chain reaction in the other shinobi present. Now that one of the Kage has broken the standoff, it would be highly uncourteous if the other Kages still insist on refusing to share fast with others of their kind with the Gems princess. Furthermore, stubborn refusal now maybe perceived as weakness in the eyes of the other ninja and preyed upon (in a 'oh the Hokage and the little princess have the courage to let go of their suspicion. Now that they have tasted the food, you must be a coward to keep clinging onto the chance that there maybe subterfuge at work. A cowardly leader means a similarly timid nation and perfect prey to ninja power play'' kind of fashion). So they have no choice but to shut up about their complaints and share in the food. And so, one by one, they take up that very same cup once it has been refilled, and drink the same tea (one girl, ten men, one cup. I totally didn't plan for this scene to sound so naughty. Ah well...).

 **68/** The Kage meeting that follows goes fairly well. Now that the ninja have time to actually discuss, bargain, and negotiate, tension between them starts to lessen and things start to diverge from Canon in minute ways. There is, however, a massive elephant in the room: the fact that they are all being closely observed by an unknown power, the princess ruler of Gems. Unlike the first day when the Kage mostly disregarded Kagome as a puppet ruler, the events of yesterday have drastically altered their views on her as well as called back every rumors pertaining to the Witch Queen of Gem's miraculous feats. In only the last two years, Gems, previously a backwater country with nothing special about it, has achieved the status of most mysterious state of modern time. The existence of the unbreachable barrier which rivets the attention of the ninja world, Kagome's infamous rejection letter to the Earth Daimyo, the myriad of myths and legends surrounding her name and the new Gems kingdom. One would think the moment they came into the country that these myths and mysteriousness would evaporate in the face of reality, but no such thing has happened at all. Instead of a country impoverished by isolation, it is a prosperous kingdom filled with happy subject. Instead of a young puppet queen with some credit for being a great healer going for her, it is a charismatic leader with mysterious and powerful abilities. Instead of a normal civilian with barely a trace of chakra, it is an abyss of untold depth, one that threatens to swallow even the greatest warriors the ninja world has to offer. And for all that they fret, they still know nothing about her or this new Gems nation. To say that this troubles the ninja would be to severely underestimate their uneasiness.

This situation results in a thread of wariness amongst the ninja—a thread of awareness that they are being watched by someone whose enormous power and intentions they know very little about. This in turn, sets them on edge and slows negotiation somewhat. Kages are being very cautious around the elephant in the room. Lots of funny small details where they discreetly (or not so discreetly) feel Kagome out by positioning various innocuous comments or questions designed to elicit a response from her.

Kagome stays mostly quiet or lets her Ministers handle the occasional questions vaguely aimed her way, which just prompts the ninja into trying harder to provoke her into saying something, anything. This keeps on until a point where Kagome has to stop her silence and ask if something troubles the ninja and if she can do anything about it as host.

 **69/** Obviously, the ninja can't go and outright state that the little princess managed to spook 10 (actually 9 because Hashirama is not spooked at all. This is the guy who isn't even spooked by Madara and his questionable Uchiha obsession, who after all that Madara has done in canon Naruto still says he's glad to see him after so long. He probably has a few screws loose in that brain pan of his) grizzled warriors just by being weird and doing unexpected things. So the excuse they give is the typical overly polite and passively aggressive drivel a lot of Asian people like to throw around (was that racist? I'm Asian, living in Asia. Is that like black people using the n-word? Eh!)

" _What the Raikage is trying to say, dear venerable princess ruler, is that it appears we ninja are all ignoramus of the highest order. Your name has long since floated in our world, with unimaginable feats attached to it. Yet it takes coming here and witnessing your glory in person for Raikage and Tsuchikage to be convinced. To not see the signs of majesty when one walks in its home, to not know magnificence when one is in its presence, we men must be fools with mud balls for eyes is what he means to say. Isn't that right Raikage-dono?" says the Mizukage with an unreadable glint in his eyes. She senses a relish in his words that borders on derisively sadistic but is unsure whom it is aimed at. Her? Or the clearly ill at ease Raikage and Tsuchikage. No matter what, this undercurrent of unease is not something she wants nor needs so early on in the Kage Summit. She finds herself regretting having outed a part of her ability so early on and garner the ninja's attention. Not that she would do things any differently. Her soldiers were dying back then. But she probably could have done it in a less flashy fashion._

 _On the other side of the round table, the Raikage spears his Kirigakure counterpart with a look. "That is not…" he starts before suddenly glancing at her as if just now remembering something. The heat in his voice dies immediately, to be replaced with a reserved caution that sits ill at ease with a warrior of his fierce appearance and intimidating stature. He trades a swift look with his second in command who responds with the barest shake of his head. If she weren't looking for it, she would have missed it entirely._

" _That is… that is… not incorrect," mutters the Raikage finally. He's not the best orator she can see, and is probably ill-suited for the kind of veiled speech that goes in royal courts everywhere, not that she's much better than him._

 _Well, this won't do at all. The Ministers will scold her again. Just look at how they are all walking on eggshells around her. Now, to do something about this…_

 **70/** Lots of veiled talk in this part where the ninja alternatively poke Kagome and each other with words. Some are better at it, some not. Point is, Kagome does not like this situation at all when the goal of the Summit is being sidelined by the ninja's subtle power plays and attempt to nudge her into revealing info about herself. Not only does it harm the agenda of the Kage Summit, which is to forge a shared understanding between the military leaders of the newborn great hidden villages and avoid pointless large scale conflicts, it also puts undue attention on her when she would rather prefer to stay in the background and observe for now. So she makes another proposal in order to set things back on track again: to use the second to last day of the Kage Summit as a free day where she guides the ninja around the capital city. A down time day to break away from the intense negotiation, relax, and actually mingle with fellow ninja and possibly citizens of Gems.

"I understand that ninja-mina-san, despite having known each other for a long time, have actually never interacted with one another outside of the battlefield. Certainly that you care to take the time to come here is testament to your willingness to corporate and forge a more stable time. However, it must still be difficult for people who have thus far only fought battles of life and death against each other to truly be at ease. Should we not take this opportunity to create new memories outside of the battlefield? Surely if ninja from different nations and alliances can come together and mingle in my city for a single day, it will in turn create new opportunities in the future? We have ample time. Even taking one day off, there are still four more days for you to discuss future treatises to your heart's content."

Her proposal is not exactly attractive to the ninja (except Hashirama). However, Kagome reads enough between the lines to know they are all anxious for nuggets of good intel on her, the new, unknown power at the table, and so within this seemingly innocuous invitation she dangles vague promises that she maybe willing to answer their questions on the new Gems and herself. This makes her proposal more palatable to the more serious ninja among the ten. As it is, it is unlikely that they will learn anything significant about her while sitting in this room without any sort of stimulus aside from ninjas who are all strangers to the princess ruler. An environment amidst her city and surrounded by her citizens has the potential to reveal more about the princess ruler than this conference room. Also, despite her naive sentiments, there is value to mingling with ninja from other countries. A new environment has the potential to reveal different aspects to old subjects. And as the princess ruler stated, the ninja have only really known each others as combatants on opposing sides. So they accept and the Summit discussion get back on track once more.

 **71/** Fast forward! Fast forward! The second to last day of the Kage Summit, we have the Kage tour section where Kagome, one of the ministers and her personal bodyguards and handmaiden guide the ninja around the city, seeing the sights (the central library, the public academy, the central university, the central hospital which is a separate building from Kagome's clinic and is organized very similar to a modern hospital, the agricultural research building where people are working on improving farming industry, and finally the capital plaza).

This section doesn't really have anything especially important plot-wise. It basically functions as a comic relief section with a slight slice-of-life flair where we see the ninja outside of tense negotiation room and interacting with each other, with Gem citizens, and with Kagome in a semi-normal fashion. We see flashes of their characters being filled in little by little and there are some subtle byplay of their interactions that hint at the dynamics of their respective countries (like that previous scene where the Mizukage sneakily needles the Raikage and Tsuchikage while pretending to praise the princess of the host country). A secondary function of this section is also to show how Gems has changed under Kagome's rule, how the people have changed, their their life have changed and the environments have changed. At the start of the story, we see Gems only as this poor, backward country in the middle of nowhere where everything is just dreary and bland looking. Even the castle and the surrounding nature look sad mostly because of the subpar harvest and the lack of financial strength to really improve anything. Now, we get to see a new Gems, a country and people reborn. It's drastically different. Sure the layout is still the same, but everything else has changed. The atmosphere, the people, the land. Sure we have heard plenty about how Gems is a new country before this section, but now you actually get to see it in extensive details.

And of course, we have… the infamous noodle guy scene in this section. How did something I added in for humor and flair get so popular? Anyhow, this scene is part of the 'show that Gems is a different country and how the citizen's relationship with their princess has changed' section. The scene is basically lunch outside of the castle. Wanting to introduce the foreign ninja to normal citizens and Gems cuisine (which is influenced heavily by Kagome since she misses the tastes of her home too and some of the food she misses just aren't available in Naruto verse at that point in the timeline yet. Cakes, pancakes, candies. Foods that aren't traditional Japanese or even Asian food like spaghetti, lasagna, or burger (all those WacDonald scenes in canon Inuyasha!). My goal in this scene is to make readers salivate profusely and to have their tummies growl like a snoring bear. Because I like food and I'm a home chef, that's why. Food scenes are divine and there should be one in every story. So sayeth Sythe!), Kagome leads the tour to the food bazar section of the central plaza where they try a great variety of street food (Pad Thai! Tomyum Talay! Pork Satay! Tacos al Pastor! Espetinho! Otah! Burrito! Bun Cha! Toppokki! I'm so hungry!). The trip ends at Bandit Noodle shop which is a shop owned by an ex-bandit who has been pardoned a year ago and is now pursuing a normal, honest career as the best noodle chef in Gems (and succeeding). Due to the bandit's past experience with Kagome, he's especially protective of her.

Bandit does not take well to the foreign ninja, mainly because rumors of how the ninja initially rejected Kagome's offer of hospitality (second day breakfast incidence) has filtered down to the general populace through the castle rumor mill. He also knew that Kagome had to persuade the nobles into agreeing to allow the ninja to come into the country in the hope of progressing Gems and improving the lives of its people. To add to that, the incident with the Hosekisho attempting to assassinate Kagome by exploiting the temporary security lapse right on the first day of the Summit just puts a final nail in his dislike of the ninja…. A dislike that bandit has no problem voicing when Kagome is away from the table for a moment. And of course, who does he take it out on? Poor Hashirama, whose letter and dream of peace convinced Kagome in the first place.

It's a minor laugh incident. However, it also serves to clue the ninja into the fact that Kagome apparently has no prejudice against ninja, foreign or not. In fact, she seems to have a fairly positive impression of them. That she was willing to speak up for Hashirama's proposal in front of her court and against some of her advisors is testament to this. This will serve to pave the way for the early trade deals between Gems and hidden villages later on.

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A/N: uhhh…. Long time no see? Last time we spoke was… April of 2016… when I promised a new chapter in 2-3 days… Well, to be perfectly honest my friends, 2016 was rough... to all of us. Right after the posting of the last chapter, I got sick with a long bout of flu. After that, a big coastal pollution scandal happened in my country (worse than massive oil spill, hundred tons of dead fishes washed up the shore, the destruction of several island's ecosphere, some people died from being in the heavily polluted water for too long). Then after that a government cover-up of said scandal. I went to the coastal region to see what was up with a few friends, ended up being tagged by government… uh… workers. I had to go away for a while, went to Cambodia wearing some ridiculous wig to shake the.. uh… tails. I bought a cool book in Cambodia by the way, the Tibetan book of the dead. So cool! Then I went back home and suddenly there were riots and protests happening everywhere in the country. After that, a mass media blackout. Some activists were arrested. There was mentioning of … less than gentle persuasion techniques being used on them. One person fasted in prison for a week and a half. I don't know if he's alive. I hope he is. He has a 4 years old daughter. Then after that a big hula baloo at the magazine where I worked. I quit my job because magazine writing is a special kind of soul sucking drudge work. My love for writing was dead for a while because I spent too much time being hounded by advertorial clients. I concentrated on my publishing and biographer services. On the side I tried to get back into writing fanfics again, tried to find my love for writing again. It's tough, but I'm back now.

Hoping nothing big is going to come along and derail me in 2017. 2017 please don't treat me like 2016 did. The effing bastard…

1/ This chapter is pretty much frill and prep work in this draft form. This part is supposed to be full of little nuances and subtle preps for future development. Unfortunately, those kinds of details don't show up well in this draft format. Oh well… In any case, buckle up, because the next part/chapter is a very heavy one. We will see Kagome discuss with the Ministers on their observations of the ninja, the newborn hidden village system, the hints of the power balance among the big five reflected in the interactions between Kage, what the new village system means for the world.

In other words, next part is a heavy plot part where we see a lot of relevant world building details (world politics mostly) and plot movers. We will also see Kagome proposes a very… shall we say… unconditional trade deal with the ninja. What does she want to trade? Why, it's the resurrection ability of the manifested Tenseiga. And what does she want in return? Ninja techniques and ninja help in several very ambitious development projects for Gem. Next chapter will also be the last of the Kage Summit section. After that, we go directly to nation development mode. It's macro-mode in other words, like kingdom sim.

2/ I received several complaints from readers that I should either write a proper prose style fic or go back to working on the main FtGoG story instead of wasting my time here with this draft style, bullet point story. Replying to that, the short answer is… no, I do what I want. The long answer is that… well, sorry. I understand it's frustrating to not see the fic you like be sidelined for the moment. I also understand that the draft format is not for everyone and that it can be difficult to read for some people. I understand really I do. However, there's very little I can do about this. To be perfectly frank with you guys. I'm a person with an overactive imagination. I can sit for a day and think up a dozen completely different storylines. I can watch one show in the first day and think of twenty plots that I can turn into epic saga fanfics. If I were a quick writer or if I were filthy rich and could do nothing but write fanfics all day, that would have worked out. Unfortunately, I'm neither a quick writer nor so rich I could afford to just do free stuff because I like it. I have a job. I have bills to pay. I have a family and a chronically ill little sister to take care of. That leaves me with preciously little time for my hobby, which is writing fanfics (that you guys read… for free. Seriously, I'm a pro writer, a journalist, and a published author of several celebrity biography books. I normally charge people through their noses for the stuff I write you know?).

If I did not write this story in draft format, then I wouldn't be able to write anything about it at all. It's too big, too long, too complicated and filled with details. In prose form, this fic would reach 600 thousand words at a minimum. I… frankly just can't find the time for that. I could just stop writing this altogether, but I'm the kind of writers who believe in the sharing of ideas and collaborative creative process. I have all these cool ideas. It would just be a waste to let them rot away in my brain you know. By posting this in draft form, I'm actually inviting other people to take these ideas, this framework that I've already built and play with it to their heart's content (in case that wasn't clear in the header above). I also want to pursue this story idea to its completion and this is the only way I can do it (because its prose form would take anywhere from 7-10 years to complete with the amount of free time I have). Written in this draft form, I can actually finish this story within 2017 you know? It has a sprawling plot line sure, but I already have everything mapped out from beginning to end. Now I just need to write it down. In this draft form, I don't have to take time to pretty up the prose and create atmosphere and pamper a million details into creating a complex tapestry that is the full prose form of this story. I can just bulldoze through the entire plot.

Actually, my goal is to finish FtGoG AU within the year 2017.

So please, be understanding if you can. And if you cannot, well… nothing I can do about that. I'm just gonna go and keep writing what I like over here. Toodles!

3/ I'm nearly finished with the next chapter of FtGoG. I should be able to post it soon. And if you absolutely cannot wait, I did post several snippets on my Ask Sythe tumblr page. Hopefully that will tide you over as you wait… for… free… reading material.

Unfortunately, completing FtGoG within the year 2017 is impossible. We are barely at a fourth of the storyline. I do hope to reach the start of the romance section within this year though.

As for Tis Femina, Mirror Mirror, Book Air fans…. +crickets chirp+… ah… it's coming… sometimes… in the future.

4/ For folks who asked whether canon will diverge in this story. Yep, I'm gonna gut canon like a fish and leave it in a ditch to die. Full steam ahead into AU land, peeps! Why write a clan war era fic if you don't intend to blow canon to Kingdom's come? That's like going into an all you can eat luxury buffet and eating only a single cupcake. Boring! I'm here to have fun and screw stuff up! No holds barred! It's what I've always done since the day I start writing fanfictions and that was a long time ago. This story, from the start of arc 2, will encompass roughly 10 years of story time. It will feature the rise of Gems from a minor backwater country to a world power nation with the ability to change the global power balance completely, the maturation of Kagome from an inexperienced young lady into a woman leader of state (she's going to go through lots of setbacks and disappointments), the start of the first ninja world war (that is completely different from canon. I'm so excited! I can't wait to write the Bijuu team up part!), the appearance of Madara and Zetsu nearly a century before canon timeline, the first ninja world war becoming a desperation war of the world versus Kaguya, the clash of the female titans, the cleansing of the world, and finally, a new world order, a new future for the children of ninja. Yeah, by the time Naruto and co are born (in the epilogue), the Naruto verse will have drastically changed. Oohhh! Fun!

5/ I should post the next part of FtGoG AU soon. A few days. It's nearing Tet festival. I have free time. I can do this! My next big book project is not until March. I have until then. Full speed ahead to fanfic writing kingdom! AHHHHH! FIGHTING!

I'm also doing an art book giveaway on my tumblr page in celebration of two friends of mine getting published in an art illustrated poem book project. Partly because I'm an art mag writer and art collector. Check it out if you like art books and print illustration?

Happy New Year!

Awesomesaurus (I decided to change my name. I am now a glorious dinosaur. It definitely has nothing to do with the rumors that my boss found erotic stuff I wrote under the same pen name years ago and shared it with the newbie writers I were coaching. Nothing at all! I am awesome dinosaur! Give me cookies!)


	9. Clan War Snippet 1: Hashirama

A/N: Hello peeps! Long time no see! As you can see by the lack of updates thus far, 2017 has not been…gentle to me. Lots of things have happened to me. A lot of them are great things. A lot of them are not so great. Regardless, the result is that I'm probably in the busiest phase of my life. I am happy and in good health though I am also under a lot of pressure and has a lot of things on my mind. This year, I hit 29 years old. Believe me when I tell you it's been a milestone for me. So many things happened to me this year. A lot of laughters. A lot of tears too.

I won't bore you with the details but, in the foreseeable future, I'm not sure if I will have much if any time to devote to my fanfiction. I love the stories I write and my imagination has never once stopped churning out new ideas. But the task of writing them down, giving them solid shapes, and refining them is something that is beyond me right now. So, with much regret, I will have to tell you that all of my stories will henceforth be put on indefinite hiatus until a time when I have the mental and physical space to return.

That said however, I have been writing snippets of future parts of the stories. Some of them are short moments that will act as plot hooks. Some of them are entire turning points or character focus in strategic parts of the stories. I have been posting them on tumblr. Recently, I received a letter from a fan asking me why I don't post these snippets on ffnet where more readers will be able to enjoy them and not just the very small number of people who follow me on my tumblr account. Well, I used to not do that because I did not want to spoil the stories and also the snippets aren't meant to be 100% unchangeable. They hold the essence of that part of the stories but until the moment when they are connected to the main storylines, they remain in a semi-draft stage and those reasons are why I don't post them on ffnet.

However, because of this indefinite hiatus, those reasons no longer hold true and I shall now start to post the quite significant number of snippets I have written for the stories.

I hope you enjoy them and will tell me what you think or feel about them, whether they surprise you, and whether you feel that any parts could be improved upon.

Enjoy!

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 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**_

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 _ **FtGoG AU: Hashirama's route: No Ordinary Love**_

A/N: Since the format of FtGoG AU is not conducive for planning out detailed characterization and possible romance subplots, I have prepared 5 different romance routes for FtGoG AU. This is one of them. And in rare form, it's in complete prose form and not draft form like the norm for FtGoG AU. Enjoy.

Hashirama's route is the designated tragedy route in the 5 routes… for obvious reasons…

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"Tell me of your homeland, little princess," he says as they sit down on the grass on the hill where her old clinic was to watch the sunset together. The horizon stretches before them. Green grass and blue skies that are slowly turning a breathtaking array of pink, purple, and gold. The breeze this time of the year is gentle and it blows through the hillside, ruffling the reddening leaves and tangling through her hair.

Her hair is down today, he notes. She's in casual wear instead of formal. Simple cotton dress, bare feet and a single white lily in her hair instead of elaborately layered red silk and a golden crown atop a carefully coiffured head. It instantly makes her look ten years younger. Hence, the 'little' before her title, because she looks so young next to him, so… little. Tobirama will not be pleased to know his elder brother has chosen to forgo courtly etiquette in the company of the princess ruler of Gems yet again. The brothers have had talks in the past about this. Courtly etiquette and Hashirama's perilous lack of it in the company of royalty. As per his younger brother's advice—command, Hashirama amends in his head—he is not to address the princess ruler of Gems, who is quite possibly about to be acknowledged as a full Daimyo, as anything less than her full title of office.

Your royal highness. Your majesty. Most gracious, if he's going for something with a bit more flare. And if she's in a good mood and expressly permits it, then he may address her by her royal name, the one given to her by her adopted father—the late Gems lord. Under no circumstances is he to address her by her birth name, the one that he has so impudently made use of in their first correspondence.

Kagome. Higurashi. To this day, Tobirama still has had little to no success in finding the origin of the Higurashi clan and their relation to the Gems princess... if such a clan even exists.

Calling her princess is technically going by the rules Tobirama laid down. It's her title of office after all. But putting the 'little' right before it and suddenly it's no longer prim and proper, no longer stiffly-mannered, no longer so... impersonal. Instead, the words are infused with a deep fondness that scarcely describes their fast friendship. It plays by Tobirama's rules, and yet flouts them at the same time. His little brother is not going to be pleased when he finds out.

That is... if Tobirama even finds out in the first place. Hashirama smiles impishly at the thought of pulling the proverbial wool over his straight laced little brother's eyes. After all, friends should not be so formal in the company of each other. And Kagome is not at all like those stuffy royal families back in the capital of Fire. She is candid, and cares little for frivolous courtly rituals if they do not serve the interest of her people. Some would call her an insolent rube among those of blue blood, probably why she's not popular with the great courts of Earth and Water where there are no mutual trade benefits to cushion the princess's eccentricity. But Hashirama only finds this honesty refreshingly charming.

"Are you not bored?" She is smiling, now laughing. She sits beside him on the hill top, bare feet in the grass. There are books in her hands and papers in her lap. Trade treatises from several semi-independent city states at the border of Fire. Agreements of transfer of technology and mining rights, as well as the possible extension of the White Road as it is quickly becoming known as. They have little to do with Konohagakure itself, but since he is on a diplomatic trip to Gems anyway, he has agreed to ferry them from the outposts to the hands of the princess herself. And then he has agreed to help her go through the minutiae of the proposals with his local knowledge. But he's not in the mood for hashing out trade agreements right out. It's a beautiful day today, and they aren't sitting in one of the many stuffy halls often used for similarly stuffy foreign diplomats. "I have told you of my homeland so many times."

Twenty eight times she has told Hashirama of her homeland, that impossible, shining place of light and peace and little children growing up knowing of wars and battlefields only through textbooks. He doesn't think he will ever get tired of hearing of that place.

"What do you want to hear about this time?" she acquiesces finally. He leans back to lie on the grass. Closing his eyes, he asks, and then listens, basking in the moment.

* * *

The first time she told him of her homeland was a year and a half after the first Kage Summit. Despite the barrier of stations and courtly decorum, they became fast friends. Theirs was a bond born out of mutual desire for peace and harmony and the will to see it through despite the countless voices that said what they wanted could not be done—that it was in fact, madness. It helped that relations between Konoha and Gems was especially good. In the aftermath of a failed peace negotiation between Suna, Konoha, and an especially recalcitrant Kiri over a nasty border dispute issue, she said 'Do not lose heart, for I believe in you', and dispelled the gloom of defeat as easily as the squall dispelling the last remnants of a stormcloud.

The conviction in her voice surprised him. It spoke of unshakable faith. It spoke of boundless patience. It spoke of will that would not be deterred by temporary setbacks. And all this was offered to him when he was at a moment of rare low, humiliated, reminded of harsh reality, of how men were always quick to reach for swords and knives to settle contending claims, when he had nothing with which to offer as proof that he could do what he was setting out to do.

She sat him down and told him of her homeland, a place so distant none here on the continent ever heard of it, a place where she could never hope to return.

"Your mad dream," she said. "I lived it, once"

She spoke of a city where the lights never went out. She spoke of a prosperity hard to believe in, a country where there was food aplenty even to the lowest of the low, the poorest of the poor. She spoke of schools and hospitals with doors wide open even to those who had nothing. She spoke of leaders who bowed their heads to the laws of the land as any other ordinary person, just as it should be. No matter one's station, all stood equal before the eyes of the law. She spoke of children growing up knowing of wars and battlefields only through textbooks. These children had choices. They could choose to live their lives as they wished. They could choose to be a soldier, or they could choose to be a farmer. They could choose to be a doctor, or they could choose to be a craftsman. None could force them to pick up a sword and go to a battlefield to die senselessly as cannon fodder for someone else's ambition.

More than anything, this was the one thing that struck him the hardest. Belatedly, he realized he never had a choice. He was born a shinobi. He was raised a shinobi. And likely, he would die as one too, out in the battlefield and far from home, his last breath to the sounds of violence and bloodshed, die fighting a war so that a distant Daimyo could settle some petty dispute with similarly petty people. His first memory was when he was a three years old toddler, when his father took him from the warm embrace of his mother and pushed cold, hard steel into his yet chubby fingers.

 _Best get him used to the kunai,_ the man said.

He made his first kill when he was five, kneeling over the bloody corpse of another child from some other clan, trembling and wet with blood and pain and rage and confusion and frustration. _I do not know this boy_ , he remembered thinking frantically at that moment. _I do not know him. He did nothing to me. Why do I have to kill him? Why does he have to kill me? Why do we have to fight? Why do we have to suffer?_

 _Shut your crying boy,_ he remembered his father saying. _Shinobi do not cry. Stand up and be a good soldier._

He had no choice. He got to choose nothing. His choice was robbed from him. Since the moment of his birth, everything was already decided for him, how he lived, where he lived, his friends, his love, his children, his death. For all that he was the leader of his men, for all that he was celebrated as one of the strongest if not the strongest shinobi of his generation, Hashirama did not even have the most basic right afforded to the children of the little princess's homeland. He was absolutely helpless in the one thing that mattered, powerless in the one battle that mattered.

"If you weren't born a shinobi," she asked. "Then what would you like to be?"

What whimsical question. It belonged in the realm of pointless wishful thinking. He was who he was. He had been a soldier for more than three decades, and nothing would unmake that at this point. What she asked could have come from the mouth of a child. But he humored her anyway.

If he had a choice, if he got to choose, who would he choose to become?

"I would be a farmer," he said. "Or a gardener." He liked trees. He liked trees a lot. Sometimes he used trees to stab people, other times to spy on them. More than a handful of times, he grew giants of trees to whack Madara over the head with and upturned the earth under his feet. A soldier used whatever was available to him. But if he didn't need to, he probably would like to settle down in some distant quiet place where he could grow and tender to them for as long as he wanted. He would get to watch them grow slowly, their delicate leaves unfurling and tiny flowers budding, like a proud father over his children. He would get to take pleasure in the slow act of nurturing and watching over them. He would have the time. He would have a simple existence, a simple life, quiet but lacking of hard choices that broke his heart to make every time.

"Or a florist," he added after a minute of thinking. He liked flowers too. Flowers were useful, aside from looking pretty and smelling nice. They could be made into food, into poison, into medicine. They could even be used as bait for bees, and then the bees used as bait for bears. He liked bear meat. Bear meat was great. Always in abundant and the jerky kept for a long time even in bad field condition. Perhaps he could even become a bear farmer. Was there such a thing as a bear farmer?

"If you weren't the princess of Gems, if you weren't the healer who could stave off even death, what would you like to be?" He turned the question on her. She went quiet and still, deep in thoughts.

"I would be a school teacher maybe," she said finally, and then with more certainty, added. "I would marry the man I loved. We would live a quiet life. We would grow old together, and die one day."

Her voice held such sadness to it. Hashirama knew this sadness well. She had lost someone. This loss was old, but never forgotten. Hashirama himself had tasted the same kind of loss. Years ago, when he was but a young boy about to become a man, before he met Mito and wedded her for her sweet smile, her Uzumaki last name, and her patience in the face of his occasional bouts of foolishness, there was a girl with warm, twinkling brown eyes and a dimple in her cheek when she smiled. She was one of those rare front line kunoichi, a budding talent at Genjutsu. When he turned fifteen, she used her Genjutsu to show him the skyline of the capital during the New Year festival. She filled that skies with a thousand fireworks in red, in green, in blue, and yellow. Then in the next battle, she met the Uchiha. She was a very good Genjutsu master, but to leverage Genjutsu against the Sharingan was like trying to put out a forest fire with a thimble of water. He was allowed to mourn her for three days, then the next fight beckoned.

Not everything was perfect in the princess's impossible homeland, of course. Not everything was good, nor everyone happy. She told him of terrible wars waged with steel and fire on a scope he couldn't even start to imagine. She told of weapons capable of wiping out entire countries in the blink of an eye. She told of the scars that lingered for decades in the land, in the water, in the people. But for every one atrocious thing that existed in her homeland, there were two more wonderful things. She told him of groups of people, sects, organizations, that sought to help with no care for borders nor allegiances. She spoke of medical care and food provided freely to the civilians of enemy country. She spoke of men and women of privileges discarding their status and easy life to venture into the worst places, into the most war-torn and destitute places to provide help without looking for recompense. She spoke of people, ordinary people with neither riches nor power propping them up, standing up for justice, for fairness, for truth. These people didn't always win, but their statements were heard, kept, remembered, and maybe one day acted upon. She spoke of the times—rare but they did happen—when people put aside their differences and came together to enact a universal good. Her world was not naive to war and conflict, but in the times of great disasters, they still knew to set aside their grievances to stand together as one. They knew to learn from the mistakes of their past. There were countries devastated by great wars and yet in the years to follow, they rose like a phoenix from the ashes, made new and whole and better than they were before.

In the little princess's homeland, for every warmonger baying for blood, there were two voices of reason speaking up for peace and harmony and understanding, and three more condemning senseless and pointless violence. Her world was not perfect, but its imperfections only made it all the more real in Hashirama's eyes, all the more… attainable.

"Your dream is not mad," she said to him. "It is an admirable dream, a brave dream. And I know, for a fact, that it can be realized. I lived it once, after all."

Faith, pure and simple, and said in so many words. There was not a shred of doubt in the princess's voice. She could not have known how much that meant to him. In his quest to change the world, Hashirama had been called many things. A mad man. A colossal joke. A traitor to the ideal of ninja. A liar. A fraud. He had even been accused of attempting to create a new world order via the use of the new hidden village system as engines of war on a scale never before seen. That he chose to pursue his vision nevertheless meant always having to explain himself, always having to prove himself, to reason and rationalize, to fight for every inch of recognition and acceptance… even in the hearts and mind of his followers. In his entire life, only one other person had ever accepted his dream so easily and readily. Now, there were two of them.

… He really hoped she wasn't going to turn around one day and tell him that she was looking forward to taking his head from his shoulders just to prove that her way was the better way… like that other one did. She was a good kid (young woman, he amended in his head), a bit eccentric maybe, but she had a good head on her shoulders. And as far as monarchs went, she probably was the best one hands down that he had ever had the pleasure of meeting. So… he would really hate it if he had to, one day, do to her what he did to Madara.

.

.

.

That conversation stayed between the two of them. Hashirama told no one of the princess's homeland. The origin of the reigning princess of Gems who held power over life and death had always been a topic of great interest to many people in power. Some sought this knowledge in hope of gaining leverage over her. Others thought her origin might hold the key to her impossible powers. Tobirama too had his spies and his informants ever on the lookout. He was more than sure that his little brother would get at least something out of the bits and pieces she had told him so far. And yet he breathed not a word.

There had been many who thought to ask the princess directly. They were all rebuffed. Irony that it was to Hashirama, who had never even thought to ask, that she gave the answer, however vague it might be. He recognized the gesture for what it was. One of trust. A gesture given from one friend to another. He had heard the longing in her voice too, the bone deep homesickness, the old sorrow that never went away. He would have sooner forfeited his pride as a shinobi than betray that trust. But that didn't mean that he didn't get curious, didn't mean that he didn't want to hear more, to know more about this strange, impossible, wondrous world that was the little princess's homeland.

The second time, he was the one who asked. Another low moment. Another instance of mutual bloodshed that could have been avoided had all sides reined back their egos. Another round of ridicule and doubt. They said war might not be avoidable around the coast of Kiri and Kumo. Too much bad history, not enough patience. They said he was a fool for trying to avert what was all but unavoidable. It looked like this time around, they were right.

Despite what some might think, Hashirama's patience was not without limits. His perseverance had an end. In spite of his conviction, he was a man still. He made mistakes. He had regrets. He doubted. This was one of those moments. Standing once again in the joyful serenity of Gems capital, he felt at once mad with frustration. He felt like a fool on a colossally stupid errand. Was he doing the right thing? Or was he just acting the part of a cosmic joke? Were his detractors right about everything concerning his dream? Or was this just an isolated incident? For one terrible second, he felt utterly alone. He was a madman in a sane world, his whims indulged by his loved ones. He was a sane man in a mad world, trying his damnedest to get everyone to draw back the curtain and take a long, hard look at a possible future. And everyone around him was laughing. Hashirama the fool.

In that moment of wavering faith, he sought her out. Trembling with uncertainty, he said.

"Your homeland, tell me more. I want to know. Show me everything and tell me how."

Her world was a glittering place, where there was beauty beyond his dreams. She might be far away from home, but she was slowly but so surely turning this nation into its mirror image, doing the very thing he was trying to do, except succeeding at it where he was failing bit by bit. He could see there was so much to learn, so much to do. It was so close and yet so far. He saw himself walking the streets among her people, in the shining city that saw her birth, surrounded by strangers that were just like him.

In her presence, he was cleansed off doubt and hesitation. Her voice and her tales dispelled his frustration. Her existence was the proof that his dream could be made a reality. Looking at her, he thought.

 _I am not alone. There is at least one more person in this world who believes in the same thing I do._

The thought gave him more strength than it should.

From that point on, their talks became a habit, a ritual with no set date. When it became too much—when reality became too disappointing and men too petty to fight for, when his self doubt and his frustration became too much for him to grapple alone and he dared not burden his loved ones with something even they would not be able to bear—he came to her and they talked, quietly, candidly, as people walking parallel paths were wont to. She was the confidante, the pillar at the end of the Earth. Next to his frail glass heart that scarred and marred and fractured at every instance of doubt, hers was unbreakable, unstoppable, undeniable. She was the absolute certainty, the inexorable tide, the future that could be, would be. Her existence was proof that all he endured had a purpose, all that he did had a purpose. It was not all for nothing. Her world was a vast place. They could talk for a hundred years and not cover all the wonders and wisdom that it harbored.

For a hundred years, Hashirama could get lost in the heart of her glittering kingdom, and would not be sad for it.

* * *

The sun sets. The story ends.

He hears the quiet steps of her body guards cresting the hill, in look of their mistress. He knows what that means. Time's up. She needs to get back to being the princess ruler, and he the first Hokage of Konohagakure. Still, he takes a moment and savour the last of the story. Its sweetness. Its promise. Its strength.

He turns to her, sees her stretch and yawn. Princesses don't yawn. It's against courtly etiquette. Tobirama would scowl in disapproval if he saw. But she does in Hashirama's presence. Just like everything else about her, he finds that refreshingly charming, and not a little bit endearing.

"Little princess, your tagalongs have found us, it seems."

She turns around, fixes him with a look.

"Why do you keep calling me little? I'm not that much younger than you."

Listen to them go. Are these the kind of talks that should occur between the princess ruler of Gems and the warrior lord of arguably the greatest ninja village? He finds he does not care, and knows that her bodyguards will not comment without their mistress's express wish.

"No," he hears himself agreeing and is a little bit surprised. "No, you aren't." They are a little over ten years apart. For some, an unbridgeable divide. For others, the blink of an eye. He does not care about this either. She is the little princess.

She makes to stand up. In the light of a dying sun, he watches her. Her dress is mussed around the edges, stained with green and rumpled from having been sat on in a decidedly unprincessy manner. Her shoes are still missing. He has no idea where they are. Her hair is ruffled. That was done by him, indirectly. The white lily in it is somewhat lopsided. Caught in a whim, he reaches out and fixes the lily in place for her. A little bit of his chakra goes out and then into the flower. He watches its petals darken, going from a creamy off-white to a pinkish red and then to a deep, rich, lusty crimson. A red flower nestled in her dark hair, offset by the pale white of her skin and the blue of her eyes. A tapestry unfinished. Irrationally, he feels the urge to add to it, to complete it, to reach out and...

She catches what he does out of the corner of her eyes then looks at him as if in question.

"It brings out your eyes," he says.

It really does, he thinks with a sinking feeling like that of a man free-falling from the highest cliff of the earth.

For a hundred years, Hashirama can get lost in her glittering kingdom, and will not be sad for it.


	10. Clan War Era: Romance Routes

A/N: Hello peeps! Long time no see! As you can see by the lack of updates thus far, 2017 has not been…gentle to me. Lots of things have happened to me. A lot of them are great things. A lot of them are not so great. Regardless, the result is that I'm probably in the busiest phase of my life. I am happy and in good health though I am also under a lot of pressure and has a lot of things on my mind. This year, I hit 29 years old. Believe me when I tell you it's been a milestone for me. So many things happened to me this year. A lot of laughters. A lot of tears too.

I won't bore you with the details but, in the foreseeable future, I'm not sure if I will have much if any time to devote to my fanfiction. I love the stories I write and my imagination has never once stopped churning out new ideas. But the task of writing them down, giving them solid shapes, and refining them is something that is beyond me right now. So, with much regret, I will have to tell you that all of my stories will henceforth be put on indefinite hiatus until a time when I have the mental and physical space to return.

That said however, I have been writing snippets of future parts of the stories. Some of them are short moments that will act as plot hooks. Some of them are entire turning points or character focus in strategic parts of the stories. I have been posting them on tumblr. Recently, I received a letter from a fan asking me why I don't post these snippets on ffnet where more readers will be able to enjoy them and not just the very small number of people who follow me on my tumblr account. Well, I used to not do that because I did not want to spoil the stories and also the snippets aren't meant to be 100% unchangable. They hold the essence of that part of the stories but until the moment when they are connected to the main storylines, they remain in a semi-draft stage and those reasons are why I don't post them on ffnet.

However, because of this indefinite hiatus, those reasons no longer hold true and I shall now start to post the quite significant number of snippets I have written for the stories.

I hope you enjoy them and will tell me what you think or feel about them, whether they surprise you, and whether you feel that any parts could be improved upon.

Enjoy!

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**_

* * *

 _ **FTGOG AU: Romance Routes**_

* * *

As mentioned in Hashirama route snippet, the format for FTGOG AU is not conducive to constructing detailed characterization of a large cast and the dynamics and possible blooming romance between characters. Therefore, I have planned a list of 5 possible 'routes' that romance can take place for Kagome in FTGOG AU. Each route has its own unique story and may grant access to special sub-endings that are normally not available. And yes, I call them routes as a tongue in cheek reference to the similarity with the Otome game genre! I actually had plans to make FtGoG AU into a build your kingdom quest you know? But alas, time constraint and all that. Here they are:

- **Tobirama** (golden path with the most character growth and completes Kag's character arc) . This path has the most chances for a happy and rewarding ending. However, if readers / quest players make too many wrong choices, it does have a chance of bad ending in which Kag and Tobirama part ways as they cannot reconcile their feelings for each other with their duties to their respective countries and people. In the good ending of this path, Tobirama relents, discards his status as second in command of Konohagakure, and becomes prince consort of Gems. This path opens up one of the golden endings as Gems with the help of Tobirama gradually becomes a bastion of science both ordinary and ninja in nature and a legitimate super power despite the size of its territory. A whole bunch of other things too including the 'Voyage to the New World' sun-ending. There's a reason I name this path the golden path.

\- **Reto the first kazekage** (humor with dashes of dark humor path. This path opens up alternate end game scenario in which Kag gradually infects Sunagakure and Kaze no Kuni with her brand of governance and thus paving the way for Suna to basically become a second voice for peace and cooperation between villages and nations aside from Konoha. However this path means that Gem's neutrality will end as the small country will gradually be interpreted into Kaze no kuni's much larger territory). This does not mean that Kagome's influence will end however. Quite the contrary in fact because that only opens up the door for her influence to spread deeply into Wind's court and for the fast-moving culture of Gems to drag the more traditional Wind along for the ride.

- **Hashirama** (tragedy path): counterpart to Tobirama path. Tobirama path has ideological complexity. Hashirama path on the other hand has emotional complexity as it deals with topics such as extramarital feelings , arranged marriage, etc.. This path has almost no chance of happy ending except the readers / quest players manage to make all the right choice to attain Hashirama 's golden path. This path is the most chaste path except if quest players make the correct choices then it becomes path with the most NSFW content and will probably end up with at least one extramarital child whose existence is a diplomatic incident in the making. Hashirama's path has ties to Tobirama's path and Kagami's path in that all three paths interact organically in a single 'play-through' and all 3 LIs at any time can become aware of each other's LI status. Depending on how the story ultimately goes and when each of them become aware that they aren't the only LIs, it will result in consequences in story under the form of perspective interludes or even perspective epilogues. Tobirama's path and Hashirama's path branch out from the same plot tree 'Gem - Konoha diplomatic relation' tree and has direct interactions with each other. This path has a very, very small chance (players must make a lot of correct choices) of becoming a menage a trois situation. Whether the situation is a happy one or not depends on number of correct choices.

\- **Kagami Uchiha** 's path (path exclusively for sadistic/masochistic people): lots of suffering. Being an Uchiha means suffering. Suffer! The start of Kagami's path begins regardless of whether quest players choose to initiate this path or not. Meaning that even if players choose to initiate any of the other three paths and not Kagami's path, Kagami's path automatically starts anyway. However, if players do not explicitly pursue Kagami's path to completion, this path automatically ends in tragedy and heartbreak for Kagami. Kagami's path directly ties to a large plot line concerning the Uchiha's genetic issue (i.e. the curse of hatred). Uchiha clan's genetic issue plot line is a part of 'Gems-Konoha diplomatic relation' quest. However, participation of this plot line is optional. Completion of this plot line will further along Kagami's path (but not completes it) and opens up a secret ending with a secret LI. If this path is pursued and players make all the right choice, this path ends with a surprise pregnancy and kind of a shotgun wedding (is it a shotgun wedding if both sides are perfectly willing and happy?) four year after the main story ends (surprise baby for Kagami too). Of course, the nature of this child and wedding is a big scandal for Gems and the nobilities of other countries though and so players will suffer in diplomatic relations with other countries. Completion of this path also opens up a sub-ending for Gems: 'the creation of a new people: a new future for clan Uchiha'.

Even in the case of happy ending for this path, Kagami Uchiha still suffers during the four years in between the end of the World War (main quest) and Kagome seeking him out in Konoha with their surprised baby in tow. This is the only route that will result in a 'Crown Prince Shisui' sub-ending.

In other words, this path's other name is 'being Kagami Uchiha is suffering'. Even in the happy ending of this path, he still has to suffer for a very, very long time (spends 4 years thinking he was nothing more than a whimsical one night fling to the love of his life)

\- **Unlockable secret path** (path exclusively for ultra-sadist people or people with severe case of fangirlism / fanboyism): this path will only unlock once Uchiha's genetic issue plot line is completed and Kagami's path is not explicitly pursued to completion. Players must not have completed any other romance paths. Kagome must be already hardened as a ruler and war general, must have pragmatism point above a certain level, must have Shikon corruption point exactly at a certain level (too much Shikon corruption leads to bad endings while too little will not unlock this path). Kagome must also have one leather item and one dog collar in her inventory. This path's alternate name is 'I want a black dog this time around.' This path has the 'Uchiha Clan's Dark Goddess' sub-ending. This path will only initiate once the 3rd arc of the quest is completed.


	11. Clan War Era: Kagami's Route

A/N: Hello peeps! Long time no see! As you can see by the lack of updates thus far, 2017 has not been…gentle to me. Lots of things have happened to me. A lot of them are great things. A lot of them are not so great. Regardless, the result is that I'm probably in the busiest phase of my life. I am happy and in good health though I am also under a lot of pressure and has a lot of things on my mind. This year, I hit 29 years old. Believe me when I tell you it's been a milestone for me. So many things happened to me this year. A lot of laughters. A lot of tears too.

I won't bore you with the details but, in the foreseeable future, I'm not sure if I will have much if any time to devote to my fanfiction. I love the stories I write and my imagination has never once stopped churning out new ideas. But the task of writing them down, giving them solid shapes, and refining them is something that is beyond me right now. So, with much regret, I will have to tell you that all of my stories will henceforth be put on indefinite hiatus until a time when I have the mental and physical space to return.

That said however, I have been writing snippets of future parts of the stories. Some of them are short moments that will act as plot hooks. Some of them are entire turning points or character focus in strategic parts of the stories. I have been posting them on tumblr. Recently, I received a letter from a fan asking me why I don't post these snippets on ffnet where more readers will be able to enjoy them and not just the very small number of people who follow me on my tumblr account. Well, I used to not do that because I did not want to spoil the stories and also the snippets aren't meant to be 100% unchangable. They hold the essence of that part of the stories but until the moment when they are connected to the main storylines, they remain in a semi-draft stage and those reasons are why I don't post them on ffnet.

However, because of this indefinite hiatus, those reasons no longer hold true and I shall now start to post the quite significant number of snippets I have written for the stories.

I hope you enjoy them and will tell me what you think or feel about them, whether they surprise you, and whether you feel that any parts could be improved upon.

Enjoy!

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**_

* * *

 _ **FtGoG AU: Kagami's Route and Character Study**_

* * *

...So I have already received a bunch of questions from people regarding Kagami Uchiha and his place in the 5 romance routes for FtGoG AU Kagome. Kagami-kun is surprisingly popular eh. Hmm, I guess Uchiha in general are popular with fans. It's not just Itachi and Sasuke. Ah ha, I guess ladies of all ages and nationalities tend to like the tall, dark, and mysterious bad boy type no? Ahahahaha... I'm kidding. Anyhow, I should try to answer your questions to the best of my ability. So...

 **1/ Why Kagami?**

I understand why you may be thinking this. Kagami Uchiha? Such an obscure character. When I mentioned his name to my beta, she had to go search him in the Naruto wikia. She just couldn't remember who he and his deal were. He appeared maybe 2-3 times in the manga without saying so much as a word, and was name-dropped by Tobirama, Danzo, and Sarutobi for being a powerful Uchiha that... for some reason was not afflicted with the same 'curse of hatred' that plagued his clan. Also, he's listed as Shisui's ancestor and was supposedly much stronger than Shisui, a character praised by Danzo for his combat prowess and potentials being among the strongest of the Uchiha clan.

Seems like a whole lot of name dropping and backside buttering for such a minor character right? It almost feels like he's a snowflake character. You know, the kind created by authors to make a point before being thrown away once said point was made. In his case, that point is the rhetoric of Uchihas being cursed with hatred and it's only once in a while that rare individuals like Kagami could raise above their blood and blah blah blah. Well, at this point, there's no sense in beating around the bush. Kagami Uchiha is a snowflake character, a throwaway character created by Kishimoto to push a narrative agenda of painting the Uchiha a certain way. His entire point in the narrative of Naruto the series is just to stress on the curse of the Uchiha and how Tobirama might have been justified in his passive aggressive crusade to alienate the Uchiha from the rest of Konoha (you are kind of a dick here, Tobirama. No lie. I can kinda understand your reasoning but still, what a dick move).

So then, why did I choose him? Why him? Why not anyone else?

Well, the simplest way I can explain my choice is that... I am fascinated by Kagami Uchiha. Me? Fascinated by a snowflake throwaway character of all things? Well, it's more likely to happen than you think (insert internet ad meme here regarding scorpions and what not in unimaginable places). But anyhow, the case is that while Kagami is a snowflake character, sometimes, authors can create characters with great potential without meaning to. Take Sarah Kerrigan from Starcraft for example. Originally slated to be the token female teammate of a high testosterone series, good writing and a compelling story made her the fan and dev's favorite. Kagami is a very similar case of potentials that could be, at least to me.

You must think this very strange. Kagami appeared for like two minutes in the canon manga, unvoiced! Just how much potentials can be glimpsed through those two minutes? Well, if you pay attention to the nuance of his situation and the background culture of Naruto verse itself as well as possess extensive knowledge on South Asian history and folklore, those two minutes reveal more than you think.

Certainly on the surface, Kagami Uchiha's appearance is nothing out of the ordinary. A throw-away character, looks pretty enough, has some good words thrown in for him by Tobirama and Danzo of all people, then exits stage left the moment his purpose was over. To the normal readers, he is yet another forgettable face in the myriad of Naruto verse side characters. But to me, his very concept screams contradiction. And as always, characters with contradictory points in their concept or backstory usually have more going on than what is immediately visible. I felt the same way about Fourth Kazekage Rasa, that his appearances in canon Naruto verse were full of little contradictions that implied that a whole lot more was going on under the surface, and see what I did to the man's characterization in the main FtGoG storyline?

Anyhow, back to Kagami. Remember what Tobirama said about him the first time Kagami was name-dropped into the story?

That he was an Uchiha whose sense of loyalty to the village was so great that he never fell victim to the Uchiha curse of hatred.

To me as an Asian, this is… such an ironic statement that it borders on being laughable. Such great loyalty that he never fell victim to the curse of hatred, such great loyalty that the skeptic and every paranoid Tobirama counts him among the rare Uchiha who can be trusted if not the only one, such great loyalty that he numbers among Tobirama's pupils and personal body guards. When you think about it, what this sentence actually means is that Kagami Uchiha betrayed his family in favor for a new master, Tobirama and the Senju clan.

The first two words that popped up in my head when I read this statement from Tobirama regarding Kagami was that Kagami Uchiha was a blood traitor and a blue-eyed idealist.

Why do I think so?

Well, it's a matter of different cultural values. Collectivism is a big thing in Asia, especially in the old days. Correction, collectivism is a massive thing in Asia, especially in the old days. We are not like the West in ideals of individualism has greater sway. Family, community, clans, the nation. These are the denominations of our society, not the individual person themselves. In this kind of culture, loyalty towards your own blood, your own family, your own clan, is the foundational unit of our society. Children were taught from birth that blood counted above everything else. Family stood above everything else, above the law, above good and evil, above community and the state, above even one's own deity some would say. There are tales of completely normal folks flouting the wills of gods for the sake of their families after all, and they are hailed as heroes for it. Similarly, there are stories of people who endure all sorts of suffering and humiliation for the sake of their family, sometimes out of absolutely petty reasons in the view of us modern people. For example, stories of maidens selling themselves into sex slavery to pay off the debts of their fathers or brothers were quite popular during certain period. I kid you not. They too, are hailed as examples of fidelity. Loyalty towards other social institutions, such as political factions or one's own country, is founded on this nucleus unit of loyalty towards one's own blood.

This belief was so strong that during certain periods in South Asian history, the use of surnames was banned for most of the populace for fear of loyalty towards one's own family superseding loyalty towards the crown. Why? Because surnames allow people to build up 'blood relation', to far larger units than their immediate family. To have a surname means having something far more important and precious than one's own life. To have a surname means to have a dynasty, to have a line of succession, to have meaning that goes past one's own life, to have kin that go past one's immediate family, to live on past one's own death through one's descendants. For much of South Asia history, from antiquity to medieval age even to pre-modernity, the right to have a surname is seen as a great prestige, one usually owned only by certain castes of people such as the noble caste—the warrior caste, clergy caste, and select craftsmen families whose skills were so great that they were awarded a surname by the crown. This is the case in China, in Japan, in Korea, in Cambodia, and in many many more South Asian countries.

Indeed, this collectivism / blood loyalty value was so strong back in antiquity and pre-modernity eras that it can be said to be a type of widespread generational self-inflicted brainwashing. This value can easily override everything else if it is properly nurtured and reinforced.

Now, apply the knowledge that I just gave you the the Naruto-verse where the same value system applies. An argument can be made that the value of blood loyalty is even greater than real life analogue of the same era because of the existence of Kekkei Genkai and other clan-related abilities. A child born and raised in Naruto verse especially during the Clan War era would have been drilled on the value of clan loyalty since before he or she could comprehend the concept of family and bloodline. The idea of betraying one's family or even just not having the proper amount of dedication to one's family would have been a heinous thing for those folks. Kagami… would have been one of those children. Itachi and Shisui, Kagami's own mirror images and one of them his own descendant, would have been among those too.

Think of the tragedy of the Uchiha massacre. The reason why it is such a tragedy because it was his own flesh and blood Itachi was slaughtering, for the sake of the village. The revolt of the Uchiha was founded on loyalty of blood, and Itachi, in choosing the village, struck back against that very ideal itself. Think of that final moment when he came before his parents. Fugaku and Mikoto faced their death with calmness and sorrow. Why did they not protest, did you ever think? If the Itachi Shinden books are to be believed, then Fugaku himself possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan, and Mikoto herself was a jounin Kunoichi before she retired to be a mother. Had they fought back with all their might, against an already distraught Itachi, do you think the Uchiha massacre would have played out as it did in canon? Fugaku and Mikoto must have known this too, and yet they did not. Why did they do nothing as their beloved son struck them down? Why did they accept death so easily? It is precisely because of blood loyalty. Because they are Itachi's mother and father. To raise their own hands against Itachi would have been to raise their own hands against the bond of blood. Even when Itachi chose the village, even when Itachi abandoned them, it does not change the fact that their love for him goes beyond everything else, beyond their own lives, beyond their own clan, beyond good and evil.

The sorrow of parents, to fight for one's child only for that child to choose another path. Fugaku and Mikoto died as parents, having accepted Itachi's choice despite the sorrow it caused. The replay of the Uchiha massacre is a dramatic point even for Western fans, but for Asian readers, it has an extra dimension and poignancy to it because it plays on such an intrinsic part of our value system.

Now, knowing all this, ask yourself this question. What does it take to overturn this belief system? What does it take to get a child raised amidst this culture to actually hold something else beyond his own family? What does it take to get that child to turn his back on his family, on his mother and father, on his siblings? What does it take to get that child to betray his own family?

Because let's face it. Stripping away the self-righteousness and the greater good rhetorics, that's what Tobirama's statement about Kagami holding great loyalty to his village amounts to. Holding more loyalty to the village than his own family is already an act of betrayal. A conflict of interests is inherent in that statement. The interest of the village would not always align with the interest of the clan, and there would come one day when he must choose a side and abandon the other. And indeed, Shisui and Itachi, Kagami's spiritual successors, did have to make such a choice. The village or the family. Blood or ideal. One gave up his own life. The other gave up his own family.

When I think about this, about the child Kagami being born to his family during time of wars and chaos and grew up in the newborn village Konoha, I could understand why he could turn on his family like that. This is where the word 'blue-eyed idealist' I mentioned came into play. There exists only one thing that can subvert the value of blood tie so deeply entrenched. That of idealism.

In order to turn back that kind of mental conditioning, Kagami Uchiha must have been a consummate idealist. He must have given himself wholly and completely to an ideal higher even than flesh and blood. And what is that ideal you think? Why… the so-called greater good.

It's not hard to imagine why. It's not even hard to put myself in Kagami's shoes. Having been born into a family of Shinobi and in an era of strife, his early life must have been one that was constantly surrounded by death and sorrow. Pain was a fact of life, and so too was loss. And yet, anyone with a modicum of intelligence and independent thinking would have immediately questioned.

Why?

And here came the fallacy of Naruto-verse ninja way. They lacked an agenda of their own. Their violence lacked a meaning to it. Ninja during clan war era were effectively mercenaries (and ninja during modern canon timeline are still kinda mercenaries but much less so). They spilled their own blood to fight battles that had nothing to do with them. They died defending lands and crowns not their own. While in the beginning, this made sense as a way to earn a living and provide for their own. Over time, violence begot yet more violence, and soon, fights that had nothing to do with them gave birth to destructive blood feuds between clans. Soon, what was once just a job became senseless killing over hatred born out of petty reasons. And not only did the mothers and fathers partake in this glut of violence, they shipped their very own children to the same hell out of unthinking adherence to tradition and group thinking.

A foolish way of life. A senseless way of life. A life that had no meaning, no cause, no reason for all the pain and loss. The moment that a young Kagami realized this… it must have been heart breaking. Even more so when you compounded on the curse of the Uchiha clan, what it meant for Kagami, what it meant for all the Uchiha of that time.

But then, along came Hashirama, his village hidden in the leaves, his place where the children of shinobi could have a childhood, his dream of friendship between all shinobi one day. In other words, a meaning for all the pains endured.

It does not surprise me at all that Kagami chose Konoha over his own clan, despite knowing of the risk of being ostracized by his own family over his choice (the way Itachi was). Ultimately, this is the crux as to why Kagami Uchiha was able to overcome generations of mental conditioning and clan loyalty. He chose Konoha, chose Tobirama, not because he thought it was the right thing to do (because in the end, they are all killers and among killers, talking about the right thing is like whores talking about the virtue of chastity) but because he sought a meaning to his life, because he sought a meaning to his pains.

This is the crux of Kagami Uchiha's character. Blood traitor, blue-eyed idealist, and ultimately one who sought a greater meaning, a greater cause, a reason for all the pains endured, something to make the world right again.

 **2/ Yao Li - A real life analogue to Kagami, Itachi, and Shisui Uchiha:**

I will tell you a story about another blue-eyed idealist blood traitor. A real one this time. Not a make-believe character from a manga series. Like Kagami, Yao Li lived during a time of strife, a period called the Chunqiu period of ancient China (722 - 481 BC). This was before the unification under Qin Shi Huang's rule. The land of the time was fractured into countless kingdoms waging incessant wars against each other's. Among these countries, five great states reigned during the first half of the Chunqiu period. The state of Qi, the state of Song, the state of Jin, the state of Qin, and the state of Chu. The latter half of this period, however, was dominated by a country named Wu, a barbaric country according to records of those days. Yao Li was a soldier under the reign of king Helu of Wu. Now, this king Helu himself ascended to the throne by killing and usurping power from his own cousin king Liao. Once he became king, he sought to discreetly root out the children of Liao from places of power.

Despite his best effort, one of them evaded his agents: prince Qingji, eldest son of Liao, a renowned warrior prince famous for his bravery and skill in battle. Qingji was such a popular figure that despite Helu's power as king, he could not even exert an ounce of authority over Qingji. Worse, Qingji even had the temerity to admonish Helu on various royal edicts, calling his rein flawed and his actions poised to bring ruin to Wu. For years, Qingji was a thorn in Helu's side, one he could do nothing about. And yet if he did nothing about Qingji, Helu knew that it was only a matter of time until his stolen throne would be taken from him by the increasingly popular and talented warrior prince Qingji. With care, he hatched a plot to assassinate Qingji with the help of his minister. In order to carry out this plot, a talented soldier with absolute loyalty was required. Yao Li was this soldier.

Summoning Yao Li to his residence in the middle of the night, the cunning Helu asked for the lowly soldier opinion.

"This plan calls for you to inflict pain and humiliation upon yourself, to clad yourself in the guise of one who bears thoughts of vengeance towards I, your king, and with that disguise offer yourself as a soldier to Qingji. You are talented. Qingji will make use of you in his bid to dethrone me. Only when you are trusted by him can you bring his life to a close. Tell me, how will you achieve this feat?"

Yao Li answered. "I shall kill my wife and children and cut off my own hand. I shall then present myself as one who has been wronged by you to Qingji and convince him that I want nothing but your death. I will work until I become his trusted soldier, and then, when I finally have this trust, I shall end his life with a single strike."

"You would sacrifice your own wife and children for my sake?" asked Helu.

"If Qingji is not brought down, the country will be ripped in half by civil war. For the good of the nation, he must die. My love for my family is great. But it must not be greater than my love for my country," so said the young soldier.

And so they carried out this plan to the letter. Helu created a disguise for Yao Li as a soldier who angered him and had him and his family sentenced to death. Then he faked a prison break for Yao Li, ordering his soldiers to chase after Yao Li until the other passed into the territory of Qingji.

As planned, Yao Li brought himself before Qingji as a soldier who wanted revenge on Helu. At first, Qingji was suspicious of this young soldier who previously worked for Helu but upon finding out about Yao Li's slain wife and children and his cut off arm, his suspicion ceased. The pain and humiliation that Yao Li supposedly suffered at the hand of Helu was so great that even the crafty Qingji could not imagine it was all a subterfuge. And so Yao Li became one of Qingji's soldiers. For years, he worked diligently, proving himself talented and dedicated. Before long, Yao Li found himself among Qingji's trusted subordinates. The time of opportunity came when Qingji finally gathered his army and headed back to his home nation on a fleet. Yao Li arranged things so that he was Qingji's closest and only bodyguard on his warship. Choosing a moment when Qingji's guard was down, Yao Li struck, piercing through Qingji's chest with a spear. The timing was too good. It was a fatal wound. Qingji didn't even have a moment to suspect betrayal.

Being a wizened warrior prince, Qingji didn't immediately die. Instead, he yelled out in pain and rage, stood up and with one hand hauled Yao Li off his feet and dunked the other into the river three times before throwing him back onboard.

Laughing uproariously even as death approached, Qingji said. "Are there still such foolishly brave warriors under his heaven? You would kill your own wife and children and suffer untold humiliation just for a chance at my throat? Such devotion to the cause. You are a true warrior."

Turning to his soldiers who had gathered around the two, Qingji ordered with his last breath. "Do not kill him. One warrior already dies this day. You must not allow a second one to die too. Let him go back to Helu. Let him profess his loyalty to his master. Let him receive coins for his suffering." With that last laugh, Qingji finally died.

The surviving Yao Li, instead of feeling triumph at having completed his mission at last, instead tasted ash in his mouth. All of a sudden he was filled with shame and self-loathing. Years he had spent under Qingji to gain the other's trust. It meant years seeing the warrior prince for who he was. An honorable warrior, dignified to his very last moment. Qingji was nothing at all like the villain Helu painted him to be. And he had just killed that warrior.

Unable to face his own self-loathing, Yao Li threw himself into the river in an attempt at suicide. But he was pulled up out of the water by Qingji's soldiers.

"The prince decreed that you must not die. So live, dog of Helu, live and return to your master for your prize," said the soldiers unto Yao Li. "We will not stop you."

Yao Li replied. "I did not wish for even my own life, nor the life of my wife and children. What do coins and glory matter to me?" Then he wrested a sword from a soldier and with it, cut off his own remaining arm and legs and slit his own throat. So died Yao Li, the most infamous, most heinous and also most pitiable assassin of the Chunqiu period. The country Yao Li sacrificed everything for, the ancient state of Wu, collapsed a couple decades after his death. It was razed to the ground and assimilated into the rival state of Yue. His master Helu, did not even recognize Yao Li's sacrifice. He was no more than a footnote in historical records, his only infamy being his monstrous act of killing his own wife and children and assassinating Qingji. He was survived by no one. The rare relatives that did survive his death and the collapse of Wu changed their names to avoid the infamy and disappeared into the annals of history.

Now take a moment to think about that story. It's true history. All real people and real tragedy. When I first read the full story of Itachi, Shisui, and Kagami, I couldn't help but feel like these guys were based on the real life Yao Li. Kishimoto has the habit of referencing little bits and pieces of real world history and persona in his story. Some of them are easier to spot than others. In this case, the parallels are undeniable if you have the historical knowledge to spot it. Five great nations vying for control against each other in the background. And the men at the center of the tragedies, all of them blood traitors, kinslayers, wide-eyed idealist assassins who eventually died young, died by their own hands (with the exception of Kagami who we do not have confirmation for), and died as pawns to men of greater ambitions and cunning than themselves (Helu, Tobirama, Danzo, Sarutobi).

And you know what the cincher is? By historical records, the ancient state of Wu held deep ties with the state of Wo / Wa (ancient Japan, the writing of the name differs by records. In Japanese records, they are Wa. In Chinese, they are Wo). By Wo / Wa historical records, its people claimed to be descended from Taibo, the founding king of Wu, and when Wu collapsed, Wo / Wa received an influx of refugees fleeing Yue's retribution by ways of the sea. Many of those refugees would go on to become prominent personage among the court of Wo / Wa.

 **3/ Kagami's route:**

By this point, how do you feel about Kagami's route? Do you still feel like he's a weird choice? Do you still feel like he's an obscure character with little to nothing to offer to the narrative?

As for me, I can only say I feel super excited! I know for a fact that I can do a lot with this character regardless of the fact that he barely made an appearance in the manga. As said above, I think Kagami can offer a lot to the narrative. He has all the marks for readymade drama right there. He's basically Yao Li (idealistic assassins) to Kagome's Qingji (charismatic political and thought leader with ideals so strong that their existence becomes a threat to the status quo rulers). To add to that, because he is an Uchiha, a storyline featuring him will have an automatic in for exploring the Uchiha clan and their curse of hatred.

That's another point of canon that was never resolved. What the hell is the Uchiha curse of hatred? It was first brought up by Tobirama as a way to excuse the whole drama with the Uchiha clan being all emotional nuts who need to be either controlled or put down for their own sakes (Sasuke with his avenger thing, Obito and his obsession over Rin, Madara and… well… just Madara). It has some serious proofs going for it too, what with Madara's 'evil chakra' according to the Kyuubi, and all the Uchiha who went nuts over broken hearts. And then at the end of the series, it was just… dropped. Nobody even mentioned it anymore. Like nobody, not even to affirm or deny it. And I'm left here thinking: the fuck? So in the end is there or is there not a curse of hatred on the Uchiha? Was Tobirama justified in his bias against the Uchiha or was he just a jackass with a hate boner (who somehow, despite his sensor abilities and his deep research capabilities, never attempted to find a way to cure that so called curse of hatred even when his village stood to gain so much if a cure could be created)? If he was right, then what the hell is going to happen to Sasuke and Sarada and whatever future Uchiha there are going to be? If not, then… what the fuck? Why? Was it just because Tobirama was jealous of his brother's hard-on for Madara? Was that it?

Anyhow, I want to get to the bottoms of that. I think that's a topic precious few writers have touched upon. The fate of the Uchiha. The role their linage plays in it. What is in store for them? Will they have a future? Naruto fan writers typically tend to be distracted by all the 'cool kung fu fighting', usually to the detriment of the more nuanced, more cerebral elements of storytelling. Well, I shan't complain. Instead, I shall do something about it. I shall explore that topic and Kagami is my in for that.

As mentioned before, Kagami's route is tied directly with the Uchiha clan research sub-plot, a storyline in which Kagome studies the genetic traits of the Uchiha and the nature of their 'chakra sickness' in an attempt to find a solution. To facilitate her research, a number of Uchiha members are sent over to Gems on a long term basis. Among these Uchiha is Kagami, who is on his own mission to monitor Kagome and to foster trust with her on order of Tobirama. Kagami is specifically chosen because of his age (teenager so as to make Kagome more susceptible to his youthful appearance. It's easier to lower your guard to someone who you think are still a kid than a full on adult soldier of a foreign state), and his loyalty towards Konoha and Tobirama.

This is Kagami when his mission starts and he first meets Kagome.

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Yep, still a teenager. Around Naruto's age at the end of Shippuden. Kagome is in her early to mid-20s.

Oh yeah, as a side note, this is Kagami when Kagome takes over as princess ruler of Gems at the beginning of the story.

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Shotacon bait. There I said it. Clarification. It's not going to be a Shotacon romance even though Kagami is distinctly younger. Their relationship transpires over 4-5 years so at the end of the story, Kagami and Kag are full adults in their 20s. I read Lolita and I like it, but I'm not writing anything like that. Ok? Ok.

Aside from the Uchiha clan elements, this route will explore themes of loyalty and idealism, of betrayal and abandonment, of taint and purity. The things that distinguish this route from the other routes are… hmm… a sense of childishness, of innocence to their interactions. They meet when Kagami is still a teenager after all, and despite how he's already a trained killer at that time, he's still a teenager in other aspects of life. There are shades of the abandoned child archetype in both Kagami and Kagome's characters so that's something that they will probably draw out in each other. Hence, the sense of unfettered innocence in their interactions. When it develops, Kagami's feeling for Kagome is defined by its purity, its lack of agenda. All the other LIs are heads of states or leaders on their own rights. They are political creatures by default. Even when their feelings are genuine, they always come burdened with political ramifications and all sorts of considerations. The same is not true for Kagami whose feelings are simple and unburdened. He loves. Pure and simple. He needs nor wants nothing more than to be loved back. This is the one refreshing thing about him especially compared to all the other routes.

Kagami's route is marked by eight milestone events: the betrayal, the ostracism, the plea, the sacrifice, the resurrection, night of the lovers, the link, and the unexpected prince.

The first one is as it says in the title. A betrayal, ala Yao Li and Qingji, only with more heartbreaking consequences. Kagami receives order from Tobirama to activate his intended mission to capture Kagome with the aid of shinobi from other nations. Needless to say, he falters at the very last moment and fails, killing one of Kagome's close aides during the act, and thus kickstarting the first world war between Gems and the great Five. For this, he is ostracized the same way Kakashi's father was. This event marks the beginning of his crush deepening under the pressure of guilt, doubt, and self-loathing into… well… love. A self-loathing, despairing, hopeless kind of love… but love nonetheless. Yeah, it's not fun to be Kagami Uchiha. I did mention that this route is for those who want to see the ones they love suffer didn't I?

The ostracism happens right after the climax of arc 3 and the start of arc 4 when Madara reveals himself the mastermind behind the world war and attempts to enact his moon's eye plan. As a result, the Uchiha clan become international pariahs, and are shunned even by their own fellow Konohans.

The plea is a milestone in which Kagami attempts to reach Kagome in order to make a case for his plan. It goes… about as well as you think it does, which is to say not at all. At that point, he's referred to as the snake by Kagome's aides and is prevented from ever getting close to her. It gets so bad that Kagami, at one point, goes down on his knees and gouges out his own eyes to prove his sincerity and in the hope of being allowed to talk to Kagome. For an Uchiha to be reduced to that, it shows the kind of position the Uchiha clan find themselves in—a world where their Madara is reviled by nearly everyone and is actively trying to bring about the end of the world. I will leave it to your imagination as to whether that bears fruit or not.

The sacrifice and the resurrection…. Exactly what it says on the tin. During the chaos of battle he takes a blow for Kagome from Madara and dies. Madara features rather prominently in this path as well because a path about the Uchiha for sure cannot escape his shadow. There are lots of opposite and mirror images elements in this part. Also, lots of development in the fate of the Uchiha clan.

Night of the lovers. Surprised snu snu happens. Totally surprised. From first base to home run (Yay! Shoot confetti guns!) in the blink of an eye. He gets lucky. For a while he thinks he's dreaming or the victim of some cruel genjutsu pranks. It's totes real. Enjoy it when you can Kagami-kun. Your happiness shall be hard earned. In this part, we actually get to see more on Kagome's side. Kagami's route is a bit one-sided up until this point since up until this point, Kagami's feelings are… unrequited. It takes until this point for Kagome to even look at him as a man (poor kid). Lots of elements of loneliness on Kagome's part. We get to explore Kagome persona in a route where she is much more isolated emotionally speaking than the other routes. This is when we see her as more grounded and more human than the near deity figure that she is in Kagami's eyes (he has it bad). It's basically a grounding moment for their relationship. Idol worship works up to a point but for a long term relationship, we need some real talk. After snu snu of course.

The link… is plot twist. Sort of.

The unexpected prince… hmm it's basically the ending of the romance route. Baby and wedding and big happy (for the good end route that is).

Completing Kagami's route will open up the 'a new future for the Uchiha' sub-ending in which the Uchiha clan splits. Half of the clan stay with Konoha while the other half move to Gems. The first prince of Gems being an Uchiha by blood effectively elevates the status of the clan to actual nobility instead of just pseudo ninja nobility. This sub-ending is only possible through Kagami's route.

Man. I'm pretty stoked for this route too. I have done a good job with all the routes, I think, in that I feel excited no matter which it is. All of them have something unique to offer. All of them have a flare of their own. This is the only route in which we are going to have a prince Shisui though. Not that it matters that much anymore once Kagome abdicates the throne and attempts to steer Gems into becoming a democratic republic but still… prince Shisui!


End file.
